Horizon
by the yellow canary
Summary: Sequel to Blank Canvas. She's back. She's got an army. And she's after Rose. The Cullen's and wolves must join together to save the human they love whilst she tries to decide her life. Emmett or Seth? Life or Death?
1. Chapter 1

Horizon

_Rose,_

_I miss you too. Doesn't change anything. You made the choice._

_Seth._

Seth. I hadn't heard from my best friend/werewolf since the Cullen's moved back to Forks. He knows about my decision to become a vampire and live eternity with my only love and his family. Speaking of which I better hurry up and get dressed. They'll be here soon.

I run and take a quick shower, letting the hot water unknot my tense muscles. I run to my room and brush my hair and throw into a knot on the top of my head. I grab a pair of jeans and grab a blue blouse and a pair of white flats I got when I went shopping with Alice.

I rush downstairs and find my Mom and Dad sat down eating their breakfast. They look up and smile at me then carry on eating whilst my Dad reads the Newspaper. I grab a bowl and my favourite cereal and scarf it down as quickly as I can. I hear a horn being honked and jump up grabbing my backpack. I kiss both my parents on the cheek and run out to meet my boyfriend.

There stood the most perfect man: Emmett Cullen. He was wearing blue denim jeans with a black hoodie that only showed off his perfect muscles. He grinned at me and opened the passenger door for me to get in. I kiss his cheek whilst he chuckles and gets in the drivers seat.

"Hey Rose" Alice and Jasper say from the backseat. I turn around and smile at them.

"Hey" Jasper was wearing jeans with a green and black striped knit jumper. Alice was wearing jeans with a white t shirt that had a man's shadow on with a blue jacket and blue flats with a black handbag and minimal make up. She looked absolutely perfect.

Emmett grabs my hand and starts the engine driving at 190mph. I hate when they drive that fast. Everything outside of the window was a blur and you felt like you could crash at any moment. Emmett turns a sharp corner and pulls into Forks High's car park. Emmett opens my door and helps me out and we all lean on the silver Volvo talking among ourselves.

Just then a red BMW pulls into the space next to us and cuts the engine. Edward gets out and walks around to the driver's side. He was wearing denim jeans with a black button down and over his arm was a jacket. He opened the door and then Emmett's sister Bella steps out.

She was wearing denim skinny jeans with black 6 inch heeled boots that came up to her ankles. She was wearing a red vest top that was tight on her chest and loose on her stomach with a black leather jacket and her Cullen crest and a yellow bag. Her blond hair was in perfect soft curls (Like Miley Cyrus's just blond!) and she was holding Edward's hand as they walk to us. They both smile at us and stand next to us as the rest of Forks High stare at us.

They must be thinking about how average and weird I looked when next to the perfection of the infamous Cullen family.

"Come on Guys the bells going to ring in 3,2,1" Alice says and right on time. Emmett takes my hand and we walk to our first lesson English. Edward and Bella trail behind and we walk in. Edward and Bella sit in front of us as usual and sit as close as they can get. God, they're always touching just about.

The lesson drones on and on until it's finally time for lunch. I walk out and see Lauren and Jessica glaring at me. They had been doing that a lot recently and they used to talk behind my back when I was in my depression from when Em left.

"Hey Rosie Posie" Lauren says in a sickly sweet voice. I glare at them but they just laugh.

"My name's Rose." I tell them in a quiet voice. Why couldn't I just tell them what I actually think and not feel guilty about it later? Everybody hates them.

"So, when Emmett gonna pack up and leave you again?" Jessica asks trying to look innocent. I wince at the pain of Emmett leaving me again. They smile when they see me in pain.

"Yeah. I mean he obviously doesn't love you." Lauren says twirling a piece of her fake blond hair around her finger. She looks at me chewing her gum and smiling that we had a crowd around us now. She was trying to make herself look good in front of everyone else by making me embarrassed. I was about to reply when a perfect and musical voice cuts me off.

"He does love her Lauren. Just because he rejected you 7 times before Rose came." I turned around in shock and looked at Bella. She was defending me?

"Wh- What do you mean? I-I didn't even ask him out!" Lauren says sounding flustered. She looks around to see if anybody heard and when she noticed everyone had and was now staring at her she turned a brighter red than me when I blush.

"Awww. Don't worry Lauren." Bella says in a sweet voice and walking up to her and flicking a piece of her horrible hair over her shoulder. Lauren glares at her whilst Bella just smiles bitterly. "I'm sure you'll find some one who will love you eventually." She says and turns around on her heel to walk off when Lauren recovered.

"Well at least I'm not into incest." She says and crosses her arms over her chest and smiles smugly. Bella turns around and gives her a glare. Wow I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end any more.

"We're adopted. It's not incest when you don't share the same _birth _parents." She says and smiles when Lauren's face falls. Jessica steps back obviously not wanting to get criticized by Forks High's most perfect girl. Lauren tries to glare at Bella but just huffs and looks at me.

"When Emmett dumps you again give me a call so I can organise a date with him." She says and turns on heel to walk the opposite direction. Bella's eyes flashed in anger and she grabs Lauren's wrist and pins her against a wall. Just then the headmaster decides to see what's happening. When he sees Bella pinning a scared Lauren against a wall he turns bright red.

"MISS HALE! MISS MALLORY! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING!" He shouts. Everyone immediately runs away not wanting to get in trouble whilst I stay to try and take the blame for Bella.

"Miss Swan you may leave." He says to me. I nod uncertainly whilst he turns to look at Bella and Lauren. "You two. My office. Now" He says pointing to the end of the corridor. They nod and walk off. I was about to tell him it was my fault when Bella turns around and winks at me. I turn around and walk to the cafeteria and see everyone there already. I sit down between Emmett and Angela and smile at them both.

"Hey Rose you seen Bells?" Edward asks me with worry in his voice. I nod and tell everyone what happened. To say they were shocked was an understatement. I still don't know why Bella would defend me. Just then the doors open and Bella walks in looking more like she was on a runway than walking through a High School Cafeteria.

She sits down and gives Edward a kiss on the cheek and smiles at me. I look at her in alarm which causes her to laugh. "Don't worry. Esme and Carlisle have to come in after lunch but I have a feeling I'll not get in trouble." She says and flips her blond hair over her shoulder. She smiles up at Edward who smiles down and kisses her passionately. I turn away from them and look at Emmett. He smiles at me and I smile back and then prepare myself to talk to the ridiculously beautiful blond vampire across from me.

"Why did you defend me? You didn't have to." I tell her in a small voice. I always felt intimidated by her and was always comparing myself to her. She smiles warmly then shrugs.

"You need to grow a backbone." She says simply not being ashamed. I blush and look down nodding. "Don't let them see you in pain. It gives them satisfaction." She says giving me a meaningful look. I nod and look at Emmett who's shaking his head at Bella. "What?" She asks him. He chuckles and puts his arm around me as I snuggle into his side. Life couldn't get any better.


	2. Chapter 2

Horizon

Emmett's Point Of View

"What has she done now?" Carlisle asks as he and Esme pass us. I chuckle and put my arm around a blushing Rosalie.

"It's my fault." Rose whispers. Esme and Carlisle look at her in surprise as she tries to avoid their surprised looks by looking at the floor. "Lauren and Jessica were being bitchy and Bella defended me but ended up pinning Lauren to a wall and looking like she's going to kill her" She says in on breath. She takes a deep breath to refill her lungs whilst Edward chuckles and mumbles "That's my girl" I roll my eyes at him.

Carlisle sighs. "Well you better go to your lessons." He says to us. We all nod and I take my Rose to our next lesson which was Biology. Throughout the lesson I kept rubbing her hand knowing she was worried about Bella being in trouble. Really she needs to lighten up.

"Calm down Rose it's not the first time Bella's been in trouble before" I whisper to her chuckling as I remember some of Bella's incidents at school. And out of school.

Rosalie looks up at me with surprise on her beautiful face. "She's been in trouble before." I nod at her and laugh at her for being surprised.

"Rose she's over 90 years old. She's gotta get her fun somewhere." I say to her. She looks deep in concentration before she looks up at me with her beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

"Have you ever been in trouble?" She asks. I burst out laughing and nod whilst she looks at me surprised.

"It's usually me or Bells who gets in trouble. Edward the most though. You know what he's like." I say rolling my eyes at some of my brother's pranks. She giggles and nods. She's only seen _some_ of the things we've done.

At the end of the day Bella didn't even come out. I look at Edward surprised and he just shrugs and pulls out Bella's car keys. Wow. She must be in trouble if Edward's allowed to drive her car. "Don't crash it, I can't be dealing with an angry Bella at the minute." I say chuckling. He snorts and gets in her BMW and speeds off without even saying anything else.

"You coming to mine tonight love?" I ask the beautiful girl I'm holding. She nods and I lead her to my Volvo where Alice and Jasper are already. I nod to them and speed off towards our house. I park in the garage and try to ignore Edward and Bella's moans from upstairs. DO THEY EVER STOP!

I hear Edward chuckle upstairs and a hiss from Bella. Awww... Not gettin' any now are yah Eddie? I ask him through my mind when I see a fully dressed Bells come downstairs in yet another outfit. She was wearing a denim skirt with a grey and white striped jumper that had orange on the edges. Wow. I'm turning into Alice and Bella with all the clothes.

I lead Rose into the living room where everyone – except Carlisle who went back to work – was watching the television. Bella comes and sits down whilst Edward stays upstairs probably sulking 'cause he aint getting' any. A hiss echoes down the stairs and Edward walks down fully clothed again.

"I've had more sex than you have Emmett so I'd be quiet." He says glaring at me and pulling Bella into his lap. If I could blush I would have. Thanks Edward just tell my girlfriend about my sex life.

"What sex life Emmett?" Edward asks pretending to be innocent. Bella hides her face in his chest whilst shaking in laughter. Alice was already in giggles whilst Jasper laughs and Rosalie blushes. Edward takes one look at Rose's face and falls into a fit of laughter.

I pick Rose up and run her to our meadow to get away from my sex obsessed siblings.

XXXXXXXXX

Rose's head was lying on my muscular chest as I ran my hand through her soft mahogany hair. She puts her warm hand on my chest and I nearly shivered from how good it felt.

When it was too late I picked her up and ran her home, promising I would return tonight when her mother and Father were asleep. She nodded and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I smiled and kissed her delicate forehead.

"Goodnight Love." I say to her and run off into the forest. When I see the house in view I run straight into the living room where everyone was. Edward and Carlisle were playing chess. Esme was sketching. Jasper was reading a book about the civil war. Alice was watching the television and Bella was reading one of her magazines. I walk up to her and stand in front of her.

"Can I help you Emmett?" She asks not looking away from her magazine. I roll my eyes and carry on looking at her until she sighs and puts it down and looks at me expectantly. Everyone was watching us now as she stands up in front of me putting her hands on her hips.

"Well?" She asks with her usual stuck up attitude. I clench my fists and resist the urge to tackle her to the floor. Edward stands up and automatically gravitates towards Bella as that thought runs through my mind.

"Emmett..." Edward warns wanting to protect his mate. Bella shakes her head smirking.

"No Edward I want to know what he's got to say." She says not taking her eyes off of me to look at her husband. He sighs and stays in place behind her to pull her back if needed. Vampires were very protective of their mates.

"Why did you defend Rose?" I ask. It was probably another way to make her feel uncomfortable or even more self conscious. Rose might not have told me but I know that she feels self conscious of herself when Bella walks into the room. But Rose didn't see that she was the sweetest, most beautiful girl ever. She was 1000 times more beautiful than Bella. She ignores me and looks at the television. I smile knowing she didn't want to say her reason.

"What is it Bella? Are you actually starting to like her?" I say in a taunting voice. She hisses at me and bares her teeth, looking at me with coal black eyes. I smile. She growls.

"What is it then? Why did you help her if you hate her?" I say.

"Everyone else in this house considers her family. If she is she needs to start acting like it." She says looking at me with her teeth still bared. I look at her shocked.

"So you're not trying to make her uncomfortable or self conscious?" I ask surprised. She smiles showing all of her teeth and shakes her head.

"I do that already. It's not my fault if the human isn't proud of herself like I am." She says and walks to the stairs with Edward – of course – following her.

I look up after her and sigh. Why can't she just get over this petty grudge she has on my Rose. I turn around ready to go hunt when Alice gasps and freezes. Vision.

Rosalie's Point Of View

My Gran was going mental that I hadn't emailed her in a while so I figured I could do that to pass the time.

I didn't realize that Emmett was standing silently behind me again until after I'd turned off the computer and shoved away from the desk. I was about to scold him for reading over my shoulder when I realized that he wasn't paying any attention to me. He was examining a flat black box with wires curling crookedly away from the main square in a way that didn't look healthy for whatever it was. After a second, I recognized the car stereo Edward had given me for my last birthday. I'd forgotten about the birthday presents hiding under a growing pile of dust on the floor of my closet.

"What did you _do _to this?" he asked in a horror struck voice.

"It didn't want to come out of the dashboard."

"So you felt the need to torture it?"

"You know how I am with tools. No pain was inflicted intentionally."

He shook his head, his face a mask of faux tragedy. "You killed it."

I shrugged. "Oh, well."

"It would hurt his feelings if he saw this," he said. "I guess it's a good thing that you've been on house arrest. I'll have to get another one in place before they notice."

"Thanks, but I don't need a fancy stereo."

"It's not for your sake that I'm going to replace it."

I sighed.

"You didn't get much good out of your birthday presents last year," he said in a disgruntled voice. Suddenly, he was fanning himself with a stiff rectangle of paper.

I didn't answer, for fear my voice would shake. My disastrous eighteenth birthday — with all its

far-reaching consequences — wasn't something I cared to remember, and I was surprised that he would bring it up. He was even more sensitive about it than I was.

"Do you realize these are about to expire?" he asked, holding the paper out to me. It was another

present — the voucher for airplane tickets that Esme and Carlisle had given me so that I could visit

Gran in Florida.

I took a deep breath and answered in a flat voice. "No. I'd forgotten all about them, actually."

His expression was carefully bright and positive; there was no trace of any deep emotion as he

continued.

"Well, we still have a little time. You've been liberated . . . and we have no plans this weekend, as you refuse to go to the prom with me." He grinned. "Why not celebrate your freedom this

way?"

I gasped. "By going to Florida?"

I glared at him, suspicious, trying to understand where this had come from.

"Well?" he demanded. "Are we going to see your Gran or not?"

"Charlie will never allow it."

I thought it over for a short minute before deciding that it wasn't worth the fight. Charlie would be furious — not that I was going to see Gran, but that Emmett was going with me. Charlie wouldn't speak to me for months, and I'd probably end up grounded again. It was definitely smarter not to even bring it up.

Maybe in a few weeks, as a graduation favour or something.

But the idea of seeing my Grandmother _now _, not weeks from now, was hard to resist. It had been so long since I'd seen Gran. And even longer since I'd seen her under pleasant circumstances. The last time I'd been with her in Phoenix, I'd spent the whole time in a hospital bed. The last time she'd come here, I'd been more or less catatonic. Not exactly the best memories to leave her with.

And maybe, if she saw how happy I was with Emmett, she would tell my Mom and Dad to ease up.

Emmett scrutinized my face while I deliberated.

I sighed. "Not this weekend."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to fight with my parents. Not so soon after they've forgiven me."

His eyebrows pulled together. "I think this weekend is perfect," he muttered.

I shook my head. "Another time."

"You aren't the only one who's been trapped in this house, you know." He frowned at me.

Suspicion returned. This kind of behaviour was unlike him. He was always so impossibly selfless; I knew it was making me spoiled.

"You can go anywhere you want," I pointed out.

"The outside world holds no interest for me without you."

I rolled my eyes at the hyperbole.

"I'm serious," he said.

"Let's take the outside world slowly, all right? For example, we could start with a movie in Port

Angeles. . . ."

He groaned. "Never mind. We'll talk about it later."

"There's nothing left to talk about."

He shrugged. I was curious to know why he was so suddenly excited to visit my Gran in sunny Florida. This can't be good whatever it is.


	3. Chapter 3

Horizon

Emmett ended up winning. Of course. And Charlie had thrown a fit. Of course. But at least my Mom supported me and I would get to visit my Gran with my love. But why did he want to visit now?

Why not after graduation? Why not later in the year? What's the rush?

Edward's Point Of View

"Come on Edward! It's time!" Alice shouted showing me a vision of us cornering Victoria. I run downstairs and join the rest of my family. I was pumped up for this fight. And I'd get to save my little sister. Em's going to be in a lot of trouble when she finds out about this.

_Lets get this over with. _Bells didn't want to fight Victoria. We were certainly having different opinions. I wanted to fight whilst she wanted to stay at home. I look at her beautiful face which had a bored expression plastered on it. I sigh and she looks up.

_Thinking about her again? _She asks through her mind with a bit of steel in her voice. I shrug and put my arm around her shoulders pulling her out of the door. She sighs and wraps her arm around my waist causing me to grin. She looks up and laughs her perfect laugh at my expression.

"Come on lets go!" I shout and run off with Jasper next to me and Alice and Bella behind me and Carlisle and Esme bringing up the rear. We carry on whilst Carlisle and Bella run east and Esme and Alice run west to surround the bitch who dares to try and hurt my little sister and the rest of my family.

The red haired vampire was stood in a tree and looking in our direction. We crouch and hiss whilst she smirks and jumps out of the tree and running in the opposite direction. We jump up and follow after her but damn was she fast. She was weaving in an out if the trees and we were having difficulty catching up. Just as she was about to jump in another tree and gain even more distance, a streak of blonde comes and tackles her to the ground hissing dangerously at her with coal black eyes. Bella. My girl.

Victoria kicks her and she flies back into the tree which breaks. Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper all run after her whilst I run and pick up my Angel. She flicks her hair and hisses in the direction the vampire ran.

"You okay baby?" I ask her putting my hands on her shoulders. She looks up at me and her eyes soften and she nods, gives me a quick kiss and runs after her.

_I'll teach the bitch to mess with my family._ Damn she's angry. Hot sex for me tonight!

I run after the family and take a detour and loop around to block her in so we can finally kill her. Just as she was about to run I tackle her whilst she speeds up. I land in a tree and growl and jump up running after her. I inhale and wrinkle my nose against the foul smell in my nose. Werewolves. Rosalie had made friends with the dogs whilst we had left Forks and moved up to Denali. Emmett had gone tracking Victoria and me and Bella travelled around for a bit as another honeymoon.

I speed up as the boundary line approaches and the wretched smell was even stronger. She was there of course taunting me. She smiled evilly and I crouched and lunged at her throat. God, she's fast.

_Awww. Can't the mind reader catch up with me? What are you going to do now? Maybe I'll just kill you're mate. The blond isn't it? _A picture of Bella's glorious face comes up in her mind with several scenarios of her being ripped apart and burned in front of me. I roared in anger and lunged at her with all of my strength but she just moved again and starts running whilst I land on something hairy and on fire.

A wolf.

Oh man. I crossed the line. I'm on _their _land. The wolf pushes me back and I fall off of it landing on my feet and hissing. The rest of the family come through the trees as I run to them and crouch in front of my Bella. The wolves all growl at me whilst one tells them to stop.

_STOP! We will talk before we attack. We go when I give my orders. _No one objected when he said that and they all just glared at us still in wolf form. Suddenly 5 teenage men come out in nothing but shorts. One of them was thinking about Rosalie and how he'll always protect her. This must be Seth. The one who helped her when we left.

"STUPID BLOODSUCKER YOU WERE ON OUR LAND! YOU BROKE THE TREATY!" One shout at me and his long arms start shaking. Everyone automatically pulls their mate behind them and Jasper tries to calm them down.

"Paul! Calm Down!" Sam – the leader of the pack – shouts. He stops shaking and glares at me as well as the other 3.

"Could you please explain why one of _you _were on _our _territory." Sam asks looking at me intently. Bella hisses from behind me and walks in front of me to the treaty line and clenches her fists.

"The red head moved when he lunged. It wasn't his fault you mangy mutts!" She shouts wrinkling her nose against the smell in disgust. I pull her waist whilst she stays there stubbornly. The big one who was friends with Rose came forward and stood in front of Bella looking down at her because he was at least a foot taller than her.

"What do you care? It's not like you care about Rose! You left her in Forks unprotected after all!" He shouts then looks over us all as he notices one is missing his face falls as he realises his mistake.

"The human is in Florida visiting her Gran with Emmett. Now can you leave us alone? We have someone to kill." She says and walks back towards us.

"Yes she is the priority." Same agrees nodding his massive head. Carlisle nods and steps forward and talking for the fist time.

"She is. She may be on your side of the line. If you see her do not feel obligated to kill her. This is our problem." Carlisle says calmly. Seth snorts and looks at Carlisle.

"She killed on our land and she's hunting a friend of the tribe. This is as much as our problem as it is yours." He says and they all go into the bushes to phase into the wolf form. We all carry on running until her scent stops at the edge of the cliffs which meant she was in _their _side.

"Yo! Dogs! Can we come over and get her?" I ask them. Bella slaps me on the back of the head for my choice of words whilst I just shrug and grin.

"No." Sam says glaring. "You will not cross this line. You may leave now." He says and with that they all jump to follow the trail. I groan and pull Bella into my side and we walk into the forest.

"We'll get her guys. Who wants to tell Emmett?" Alice says. We all go quiet and she sighs pulling out her cell phone. I look over at my personal Angel and wiggle my eyebrows at her suggestively. She grins and nods taking my hand.

"Goin' hunting!" I shout over my shoulder and pick up Bella running with her through the forest as she giggles. I smile at the sound and we run further into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

Horizon

Rosalie's Point Of View

I grabbed the phone mid-ring, and twisted around so that I was facing the wall. "Hello?"

"You're back," Seth said.

His familiar husky voice sent a wave of wistfulness through me. A thousand memories spun in my head, tangling together — a rocky beach strewn with driftwood trees, a garage made of plastic sheds, warm sodas in a paper bag, a tiny room with one too-small shabby loveseat.

The laughter in his deep-set black eyes, the feverish heat of his big hand around mine, the flash of his white teeth against his dark skin, his face stretching into the wide smile that had always been like a key to a secret door where only kindred spirits could enter.

It felt sort of like homesickness, this longing for the place and person who had sheltered me through my darkest night.

I cleared the lump from my throat. "Yes," I answered.

"Why didn't you call me?" Seth demanded.

His angry tone instantly got my back up. "Because I've been in the house for exactly four seconds and your call interrupted my parents telling me that you'd called."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Sure. Now, why are you harassing Charlie?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, I figured out that part all by myself. Go ahead."

There was a short pause.

"You going to school tomorrow?"

I frowned to myself, unable to make sense of this question. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno. Just curious."

Another pause.

"So what did you want to talk about, Seth?"

He hesitated. "Nothing really, I guess. I . . . wanted to hear your voice."

"Yeah, I know. I'm _so _glad you called me, Seth. I . . ." But I didn't know what more to say. I wanted to tell him I was on my way to La Push right now. And I couldn't tell him that.

"I have to go," he said abruptly.

"What?"

"I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"What?"

"But Seth —"

He was already gone. I listened to the dial tone with disbelief.

"That was short," I muttered.

"Is everything all right?" Emmett asked. His voice was low and careful.

I turned slowly to face him. His expression was perfectly smooth — impossible to read.

"I don't know. I wonder what that was about." It didn't make sense that Seth had been hounding Charlie all day just to ask me if I was going to school. And if he'd wanted to hear my voice, then why did he hang up so quickly?

"Your guess is probably better than mine," Emmett said, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Mmm," I murmured. That was true. I knew Seth inside and out. It shouldn't be that complicated to figure out his motivations.

With my thoughts miles away — about fifteen miles away, up the road to La Push — I started combing through the fridge, assembling ingredients for Charlie's dinner. Emmett leaned against the counter, and I was distantly aware that his eyes were on my face, but too preoccupied to worry about what he saw there.

The school thing seemed like the key to me. That was the only real question Seth had asked. And he had to be after an answer to something, or he wouldn't have been bugging Charlie so persistently.

Why would my attendance record matter to him, though?

I tried to think about it in a logical way. So, if I _hadn't _been going to school tomorrow, what would be the problem with that, from Seth's perspective? Charlie had given me a little grief about missing a day of school so close to finals, but I'd convinced him that one Friday wasn't going to derail my studies. Seth would hardly care about that.

My brain refused to come up with any brilliant insights. Maybe I was missing some vital piece of information.

What could have changed in the past three days that was so important that Seth would break his long streak of refusing to answer my phone calls and contact me? What difference could three days make?

I froze in the middle of the kitchen. The package of icy hamburger in my hands slipped through my numb fingers. It took me a slow second to miss the thud it should have made against the floor.

Emmett had caught it and thrown it onto the counter. His arms were already around me, his lips at my ear.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head, dazed. Three days could change everything.

Hadn't I just been thinking about how impossible college was? How I couldn't be anywhere near people after I'd gone through the painful three-day conversion that would set me free from mortality, so that I could spend eternity with Emmett? The conversion that would make me forever a prisoner to my own thirst. . . .

Had Charlie told Billy that I'd vanished for three days? Had Billy jumped to conclusions? Had Seth really been asking me if I was still human? Making sure that the werewolves' treaty was unbroken — that none of the Cullens had dared to bite a human . . . bite, not kill . . . ?

But did he honestly think I would come home to Charlie if that was the case?

Emmett shook me. "Rose?" he asked, truly anxious now.

"I think . . . I think he was checking," I mumbled. "Checking to make sure. That I'm human, I mean."

Emmett stiffened, and a low hiss sounded in my ear.

"We'll have to leave," I whispered. "Before. So that it doesn't break the treaty. We won't ever be able to come back."

His arms tightened around me. "I know."

"Ahem." Charlie cleared his voice loudly behind us.

I jumped, and then pulled free of Emmett's arms, my face getting hot. Emmett leaned back against the counter. His eyes were tight. I could see worry in them, and anger.

"If you don't want to make dinner, I can call for a pizza," Charlie hinted.

"No, that's okay, I'm already started."

"Okay," Charlie said. He propped himself against the doorframe, folding his arms.

I sighed and got to work, trying to ignore my audience.

XXXXXXXXXX

"If I asked you to do something, would you trust me?" Emmett asked, an edge to his soft voice. We were almost to school. Emmett had been relaxed and joking just a moment ago, and now suddenly his hands were clenched tight on the steering wheel, his knuckles straining in an effort not to snap it into pieces.

I stared at his anxious expression — his eyes were far away, like he was listening to distant voices. My pulse sped in response to his stress, but I answered carefully. "That depends."

We pulled into the school lot.

"I was afraid you would say that."

"What do you want me to do, Emmett?"

"I want you to stay in the car." He pulled into his usual spot and turned the engine off as he spoke. "I want you to wait here until I or someone from my family comes back for you."

"But . . ._why _?"

That was when I saw them. They would have been hard to miss, towering over the students the way he did, even if he hadn't been leaning against their motorcycles, parked illegally on the sidewalk.

"Oh."

Seth's face was a calm mask that I recognized well. It was the face he used when he was determined to keep his emotions in check, to keep himself under control. It made him look like Sam, the oldest of the wolves, the leader of the Quileute pack. But Seth could never quite manage the perfect serenity Sam always exuded. They all had the familiar yet disturbing expression. Seth, Embry, Quil, Jared, Paul and Sam.

I'd forgotten how much this face bothered me. Though I'd gotten to know Sam pretty well before the Cullen's had come back — to like him, even — I'd never been able to completely shake the resentment I felt when Seth mimicked Sam's expression. It was a stranger's face. He wasn't my Seth when he wore it.

"You jumped to the wrong conclusion last night," Emmett murmured. "He asked about school because he knew that I would be where you were. He was looking for a safe place to talk to me. A place with witnesses."

So I'd misinterpreted Seth's motives last night. Missing information, that was the problem. Information like why in the world Seth would want to talk to Emmett.

"I'm not staying in the car," I said.

Emmett groaned quietly. "Of course not. Well, let's get this over with."

Seth's face hardened as we walked toward him, hand in hand.

I noticed other faces, too — the faces of my classmates. I noticed how their eyes widened as they took in all six foot seven inches of Seth's long body, muscled up the way no normal

sixteen-and-a-half-year-old ever had been. I saw those eyes rake over his tight black t-shirt —

short-sleeved, though the day was unseasonably cool — his ragged, grease-smeared jeans, and the glossy black bike he leaned against. Their eyes didn't linger on his face — something about his expression had them glancing quickly away. And I noticed the wide berth everyone gave him, the bubble of space that no one dared to encroach on.

With a sense of astonishment, I realized that Seth looked _dangerous _to them. How odd.

Emmett stopped a few yards away from Seth, and I could tell that he was uncomfortable having me so close to a werewolf. He drew his hand back slightly, pulling me halfway behind his body.

As we walked I noticed the rest of the Cullen's following behind us with hard expressions similar to Emmett. They all had pitch black eyes but yet they all still look absolutely perfect. Jasper was wearing black slacks with a grey t shirt. Edward was wearing a blue shirt with black slacks and a grey coat. Alice was wearing a grey dress with matching grey flats and Bella was wearing a black dress with red tights and black heels and a silver bag with her blond hair in a side bun with a few curls framing her breathtaking face.

"You could have called us," Emmett said in a steel-hard voice. "Sorry," Seth answered, his face twisting into a sneer. "I don't have any leeches on my speed dial."

"You could have reached me at Rose's house, of course."

Seth's jaw flexed, and his brows pulled together. He didn't answer.

"This is hardly the place, Seth. Could we discuss this later?"

"Sure, sure. I'll stop by your crypt after school." Seth snorted. "What's wrong with now?"

Emmett looked around pointedly, his eyes resting on the witnesses who were just barely out of hearing range. A few people were hesitating on the sidewalk, their eyes bright with expectation. Like they were hoping a fight might break out to alleviate the tedium of another Monday morning. I saw Tyler Crowley nudge Austin Marks, and they both paused on their way to class.

"I already know what you came to say," Emmett reminded Seth in voice so low that _I _could barely make it out. "Message delivered. Consider us warned."

Emmett glanced down at me for a fleeting second with worried eyes.

"Warned?" I asked blankly. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell her?" Seth asked, his eyes widening with disbelief. "What, were you afraid she'd take our side?"

"Please drop it, Seth," Emmett said in an even voice.

"Why?" Seth challenged.

I frowned in confusion. "What don't I know? Emmett?"

Emmett just glared at Seth as if he hadn't heard me.

"Seth?"

Seth raised his eyebrow at me. "He didn't tell you that his big . . ._brother _crossed the line Saturday night?" he asked, his tone thickly layered with sarcasm. Then his eyes flickered back to Emmett. "Paul was totally justified in —"

"It was no-man's land!" Edward hissed from behind us and pulling Bella behind him like Emmett was with me.

"Was not!"

Seth was fuming visibly. His hands trembled. He shook his head and sucked in two deep lungfuls of air.

"Emmett and Paul?" I whispered. Paul was Seth's most volatile pack brother. He was the one who'd lost control that day in the woods — the memory of the snarling gray wolf was suddenly vivid in my head. "What happened? Were they fighting?" My voice strained higher in panic. "Why? Did Paul get hurt?" I looked frantically at Paul who was glaring at me.

"No one fought," Emmett said quietly, only to me. "No one got hurt. Don't be anxious."

Seth was staring at us with incredulous eyes. "You didn't tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that —?"

"Leave now." Emmett cut him off mid-sentence, and his face was abruptly frightening — truly frightening. For a second, he looked like . . . like a _vampire _. He glared at Seth with vicious, unveiled loathing.

Seth raised his eyebrows, but made no other move. "Why haven't you told her?"

They faced each other in silence for a long moment. More students gathered behind Tyler and Austin. I saw Mike next to Ben — Mike had one hand on Ben's shoulder, like he was holding him in place.

In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition.

Something Emmett didn't want me to know.

Something that Seth wouldn't have kept from me.

Something that had the Cullens and the wolves both in the woods, moving in hazardous proximity to each other.

Something that would cause Emmett to insist that I fly across the country.

Something I knew would happen again, as much as I might wish it never would. It was never going to end, was it?

I heard the quick _gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp _of the air dragging through my lips, but I couldn't stop it. It looked like the school was shaking, like there was an earthquake, but I knew it was my own trembling that caused the illusion.

"She came back for me," I choked out.

Victoria was never going to give up till I was dead. She would keep repeating the same pattern — feint and run, feint and run — until she found a hole through my defenders.

Maybe I'd get lucky. Maybe the Volturi would come for me first — they'd kill me quicker, at least.

Emmett held me tight to his side, angling his body so that he was still between me and Seth, and stroked my face with anxious hands. "It's fine," he whispered to me. "It's fine. I'll never let her get close to you, it's fine."

Then he glared at Seth. "Does that answer your question, mongrel?"

"You don't think Rose has a right to know?" Seth challenged. "It's her life."

Emmett kept his voice muted; even Tyler, edging forward by inches, would be unable to hear. "Why should she be frightened when she was never in danger?" "Better frightened than lied to."

I tried to pull myself together, but my eyes were swimming in moisture. I could see it behind my lids — I could see Victoria's face, her lips pulled back over her teeth, her crimson eyes glowing with the obsession of her vendetta; she held Emmett responsible for the demise of her love, James. She wouldn't stop until his love was taken from him, too.

Emmett wiped the tears from my cheek with his fingertips.

"Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?" he murmured.

"She's tougher than you think," Seth said. "And she's been through worse."

"The principal's on his way to discourage loitering on school property," Emmett murmured to me. "Let's get to English, Rose, so you're not involved."

"Overprotective, isn't he?" Seth said, talking just to me. "A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess, you're not allowed to have fun, are you?"

Emmett glowered, and his lips pulled back from his teeth ever so slightly. "Shut up, Seth," I said.

Seth laughed. "That sounds like a _no _. Hey, if you ever feel like having a life again, you could come see me. I've still got your motorcycle in my garage."

This news distracted me. "You were supposed to sell that. You promised Charlie you would." If I hadn't begged on Seth's behalf — after all, he'd put weeks of labour into both motorcycles, and he deserved some kind of payback — Charlie would have thrown my bike in a Dumpster. And possibly set that Dumpster on fire.

"Yeah, right. Like I would do that. It belongs to you, not me. Anyway, I'll hold on to it until you want it back."

A tiny hint of the smile I remembered was suddenly playing around the edges of his lips.

"Seth . . ."

He leaned forward, his face earnest now, the bitter sarcasm fading. "I think I might have been wrong before, you know, about not being able to be friends. Maybe we could manage it, on my side of the line. Come see me."

I was vividly conscious of Emmett, his arms still wrapped protectively around me, motionless as a stone.

I shot a look at his face — it was calm, patient.

"I, er, don't know about that, Seth."

Seth dropped the antagonistic façade completely. It was like he'd forgotten Emmett was there, or at least he was determined to act that way. "I miss you every day, Rose. It's not the same without you."

"I know and I'm sorry, Seth, I just . . ."

He shook his head, and sighed. "I know. Doesn't matter, right? I guess I'll survive or something. Who needs friends?" He grimaced, trying to cover the pain with a thin attempt at bravado.

Seth's suffering had always triggered my protective side. It was not entirely rational — Seth was hardly in need of any physical protection I could offer. But my arms, pinned beneath Emmett's, yearned to reach out to him. To wrap around his big, warm waist in a silent promise of acceptance and comfort.

Emmett's shielding arms had become restraints.

"Okay, get to class," a stern voice sounded behind us. "Move along, Mr. Crowley."

"Get to school, Seth," I whispered, anxious as soon as I recognized the principal's voice. Seth went to the Quileute school, but he might still get in trouble for trespassing or the equivalent.

Emmett released me, taking just my hand and pulling me behind his body again.

Mr. Greene pushed through the circle of spectators, his brows pressing down like ominous storm clouds over his small eyes.

"I mean it," he was threatening. "Detention for anyone who's still standing here when I turn around again"

Seth and his pack get on their motorcycles and ride off back to La Push as Emmett turns me around and walks us back to school. I look back to the rest of his family who were watching us. Alice smiles reassuringly with Edward whilst Jasper has a look of pain and Bella wasn't even looking at me.

Why didn't Emmett tell me?


	5. Chapter 5

Horizon

Rosalie's Point Of View

Emmett still wasn't allowing me to visit Seth on the reservation as it was 'too dangerous' and 'werewolves are unstable and you could get hurt'. Whatever.

But Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Alice and Bella are leaving the state to hunt so I would get to visit Seth without Emmett knowing. I hopped into my truck, somewhat excited and put my foot down as far as I could go. I could've swore I saw a jeep down the road but it must be my imagination playing tricks on me because I hardly slept like every time Emmett left to hunt.

He wasn't at his house so I drove to Emily and Sam's house and found him among the rest of his pack. He looked up when my trucks engine cut out and ran and lifted me into a massive bone-crushing hug and spinning me around not caring about our surroundings.

"Rose! It's great to see ya!" He says putting me down on the floor and putting his huge hands on my shoulders and just staring at my face. "Does _he _know you're here?" He asked eventually. I grin and shake my head as he pumps his fist in the air. Eventually everyone walked over to us to greet the newcomer.

"Hey look who it is!" Quil shouts. I look at him in shock. I didn't know that he had actually phased and joined the pack.

"Quil you too?" I asked still in shock. He sighs and looks at the ground.

"Yeah me as well." He agrees. "Anyway glad you're back. We'll finally get a break from Seth's inner monologue." Everyone laughs whilst a light pink touches Seth's cheeks.

"I wish Rose would call..." Jared says mocking Seth.

"I wish Rose wouldn't call..." Embry says still mocking Seth

"Maybe _I _should call Rose..." Paul says whilst everyone falls to ground nearlly in laughter.

"Okay you can shut up now!" He shouts to everyone before turning to me. "I'm looking for a new pack. Any suggestions?" He asks as I giggle and shake my head. The door opens and Emily and Sam walk out. Emily runs up to me and hugs me tight.

"Hey Rose" She says hugging me tighter. "Hey Emily," I tell her as Sam gives me a pleasent nod and kisses Emily's scarred mouth. A gorgeous girl who looked about 20 walks out. She has Quiliete tanned skin and dark hair in a bob with a scowl on her face. She walks to the edge of the forest and looks back at Emily and Sam kissing before falling forward with paws replacing her hands.

I look at her in surprise whilst Seth pulls my arm to my truck and drives me to his house and walks us around to his personal garage.

"When did Leah... you know?" I ask him looking up at his face. He shrugs and looks down at me.

"Around when her Dad dies. Her brother, Jacob, also phased. He's only fifteen. Youngest in the pack. We've kept him on the reservation mostly so he can catch up on his studies. Wish it was the other way round thoough. Leah's not the funest to be around." He says with a scowl.

"You're such a guy." I tell him laughing. He chuckles and shakes his head as he opens the garage door for me to step through.

"It's not a chick thing. We just have to listen to Leah pining for Sam. She's still not over it." He says looking at my face for my reaction.

"Sam dumped Leah for Emily?" I ask in shock. Her looks at me and nods gravely.

"He didn't have a choice. He imprinted on Emily." He says looking out of the window into the trees. Imprinted?

"What's imprited?" I ask confused. He looks at me and smiles.

"Sorry. I forgot that you aren't in the pack and can't hear my mind. I forgot what that's like." He says chuckling. "It's like finding _them. _The one whose meant for you and only you. It's not gravity holding you to Earth it's _them. _Whoever they are." He says.

"Have you imprinted?" I ask, afraid of the answer. He shakes his head and stares at me. I blush and look away feeling self concsious as he looks at me that way.

"It's just one more thing we can't control" He says bitterly. "Even our soul mates are chosen for us. All thanks to your bloodsucking buddies." He says clenching and unclenching his fists and speaking through clenched teeth.

"Het. You can't blame them for this." I say defending them. He looks at me in disbelief before sighing.

"I sure as well can. If we weren't wolves we wouldn't imprint. If it wasn't for the leeches moving here we wouldn't be wolves." He said angrily. "It would be better for everyone if they stayed away." He states giving me a pointed look that I pretend to ignore by looking at the floor that was now so interesting. "But they keep coming back"

"And when they do you change" I say quietly finally getting his side of events. If vampires weren't in the area none of the wolves would have phased and would be regular teenagers.

"Yeah. We lose everything. Our lives, our future, our free will – you know Quil imprited on a two year old." He says sitting down and putting his head in his large hands as I look at him in shock.

"A 2 year old? That is... um, that's just creepy" I say adding a humourless laugh at the end causing Seth to chuckle.

"You don't get it. It's nothing romantic. Just spritual. He'll be whatever she wants. A brother, a best friend or even a lover. Anyway Quil won't date anyone for a few decades when Claire catches up to him. He's not getting any older." He says chuckling at the wolves' lack of aging. This was so unfair. Everyone around me was allowed to stay at their current age whilst I grow older and older.

"Still a little creepy" I tell him folding my arms over my chest.

"Still not getting it" Seth says mimicking me causing us both to break into much needed laughter. This reminded me of the days when it was just us.

"So for now you're still you?" I ask him and look at his face for any emotion.

He nods and looks down at my 5'4 frame. "And you're still you?" He asks with a goofy smile on his face. I giggle and nod.

"Until after graduation..." I continue before Seth cuts me off by abruptly standing up and speaking through gritted teeth.

"Graduation!" He asks argrily. I shrink back and nod.

"Jake I told you it was going to happen!" I tell him with confidence in my voice. He looks at me in disbelief.

"Not in a month! Not before you've- you've lived! Not before I..." He cuts off and picks up the closest thing to him which is a wrench and throws it at the wakk causing it to fly back and hit the floor with a clang.

For a second- just a second I thought – but he's got his hooks in far too deep." He says pacing the walls and trying to keep his shaking under control.

"He didn't decide this; I did!" I shout at him, standing up. Why can't he decide that this is my decision?

"And now you gonna be – that! You won't even be alive! It makes me sick! It'd be better if you died than be one of them" He says continuing pacing and stopping from shaking.

"You did not just say that." I say with my mouth open. I was stuck to the floor as he continues to pace as though he hadn't heard me. I sigh and look out of the garage's window.

"Maybe Emmett was right. This was a bad idea." I say quietly. He looks up at her with wide eyes and a heartbroken expression on his face.

"No Rose! I didn't mean it like that. I'll- I'll try not to think about it." He says. He takes a deep breath and looks into my brown eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean that." He says sincerley, his voice full of emotion. I look at him for a long time, I don't know how long but it felt like an eternity until I finally nodded and sat back down across from him.

"We should stick to safer subjects: like motorcycles." I say smiling. He grins and looks like the Seth he was before he changed into a wolf.

"The only safe thing about a motorcycle and you is the on and off switch." He says chuckling. I scowl as he laughs and picks up our motorcycles and heading to the door.

Xx

I open the door trying to be quiet so not to disturb Charlie. I tip toe until a voice is heard behind me, startling me.

"Emmett could at least respect meal times" He says with his arms crossed over his chest. I forgot about having to be home at certain times. At least I wasn't with Emmett, that might make sure I wasn't in trouble.

"I was with Seth." I tell him watching his reaction. He was pleased that much was clear to see.

"That's good." He says not bothering to hide his grin. His grin falls however when a knock on the door happens. He looks between it and me before sighing and replacing his grin with a self-satisfied smile and walking into the kitchen. I prepare myself and walk up to the door and opening it to find Emmett.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" He says in a quiet voice. I look up at him.

"I was perfectly safe..." But he cut me off before I could tell him anything else.

"I nearly broke the treaty to make sure of it-" He says before inhaling and getting a =n alarmed expression on his perfect face.

"I know I smell like dog" I say to him in defeat. When I hung with Edward and the Cullen's I was covered in vampire scent which is digusting to the wolves but when I hung with the wolves their scent was disgusting to the vampires.

"Somethings- Wrong" He finally says, his face still alarmed and his posture tense. He walks into the living room where Charlie's files for the dissapearances in Seattle were. He looked throughout them and stopped on a picture of a young man whose face had been scratched out.

"What? What is it?" I asked. Had Victoria vame back for me and noticed that I wasn't here? No she wouldn't have left Charlie alive.

"Stay here" He says standing up and walking up the stairs. I follow him making sure I don't trip. I walk into my room and find Emmett holding my dreamcatcher. When I walked in he didn't look up. Somethings wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

Horizon

Someone was in my room. A vampire.

We were currently in the Cullen's living room with everyone tense around me. No one knew who it could be and Alice didn't have a vision. We were stumped. Carlisle, Bella and Esme were all around me and speaking in fast tones. So fast that I couldn't understand them.

"No Alice. Emmett didn't recognise the scent. He thinks it's a stranger." He says looking at the floor until finally looking up at Bella. "Not helping Bells." He says to Bella who rolls her eyes with a small smile.

"Could you guys like, speak out loud please?" I ask them quietly. They all look at me as Emmett sits next to me and apologises.

"A nomad. Maybe he was just passing through." Esme says wanting to believe they weren't a danger to her family.

"A passer by wouldn't have left Rosalie's father alive" Bella says. I chill just at the thought of that. Esme wraps a comforting arm around me just as the door bursts open and Jasper jogs through and talks to us all about whatever he found.

"His scent disappeared 5 miles south of Rose's house." He says gravely

"Someone orchestrated this" Emmett says from beside me.

"Victoria?" Carlisle guessed frowning when Emmett shake his head,

"No it has to be the Volturi. I didn't recognise the scent." Emmett says.

"They're checking if I was changed" I guessed in a small voice.

"I don't think it was the Volturi either. I've been watching Aro's decisions." Alice said from across the room after coming out of another irrelevant vision of the future.

"We gotta find this fool and get some answers out of him" Edward says and pulls Bella closer to him.

"We also need to take shifts at Rose's house" Carlisle says, his voice taking authority of the current situation.

"Another protection detail?" Bella asks in shock.

"Bella." Esme reprimands her.

"No she's right. You can't watch my house, search for the intruder _and_ search for Victoria _and _ keep yourselves fed. Your eyes are black – when was the last time you went hunting? You're already too busy protecting me."

"I'm not about to let you fend for yourself" Emmett says protectively.

"I'm not about to let you starve." Then I get an idea and it must've shown on my face because Emmett suddenly looked cautious.

"What?" He asks warily whilst I break into a smile.

Xx

I walked out of the door with Seth following me. It was weird having another boy besides Emmett in my room. He and his pack were going to help us find whoever it was in my room. Emmett wouldn't come inside with Seth here. Probably because they are mortal enemies. So he's outside waiting for us to finish.

Emmett walks forward and meets us halfway across the lawn. He was cool and calculating whilst Seth is hot-headed and fractious.

"Whoever was in there left his bloodsucker stink. It'll be hard to miss when we come across it again." He said. He was so sure of himself but he had only killed one vampire and that was Laurent. He turns to Emmett to speak this time. "We'll handle it from here"

"We don't need you to 'handle' anything. Or anyone." Emmett says coldly. Seth tenses and steps forward towards Emmett whilst he stays still.

"I couldn't care less what _you _need." Seth snarls whilst Emmett's usual topaz eyes turn pitch black with anger. I move in between them to try and stop this futile fight.

"Great so we'll all work together. Hey – we all have the same goal right? To catch the bad vampires.." I say with forced enthusiasm.

"Like there's a distinction" Seth mutters glaring at the vampire opposite from him.

"Seth some day I feel like me and you are going to have words." Emmett says to Seth who grins and mutters something to low for me to hear. It couldn't be good because Emmett tensed. "That's it, I..."

I try to push them apart but it was pointless, like pushing two boulders apart. "Stop" I tell them as Seth simmers and Emmett just continues to look at him.

"Just stop it! I'm tired of being in the middle of a territorial dispute between mythical creatures. From now on I am team Switzerland, okay?" Seth starts to speak but I cut him off. "I don't expect you guys to chuck a football around together. Fine. But we have a lot of problems. And this is one _temporary _solution. Are you at least willing to try then?" I ask them as they continue to glare at one another until they finally both nod.

"Alright so you need to coordinate. You know schedules and stuff." I tell them but neither reply or even move. I sigh and turn to Seth. "Will you be willing to work days or nights?" I ask him.

He pauses then nods. "Nights" I turn to Emmett.

"Will you're family be okay to do days?" I ask him. He just nods not taking his eyes off of Seth. "Good. See. How hard was that?" I say determined to make this temporary truce work.

Xx

Angela was behind me laying on the floor and writing her graduation announcements. I looked out of my window and found two eyes. My protector.

"So U.W sent me and Eric our dorm assignments yesterday." Angela says as I turn around to her. "I'm in the furthest dorm from camp. Eric is the closest naturally. Has Alaska sent you guys your dorms yet?" She asks sweetly. I look up at her face, already missing her and her company as I lay down and take another card to write another address.

"Not yet." I admit to her. She won't know that I won't even be going.

"Where's Emmett tonight anyway?" She asks me not looking up from the address she was writing.

"Out looking for trouble" I tell her. It was as honest as I could be without telling her his family's secret. Angela must have heard the worry in my voice and looks up.

"Is something wrong?" She asks. She always was perceptive.

"No" I tell her simply and carry on writing. "Why?"

"One, Emmett's _always _with you. Two, you keep looking out that window like you're hoping he'll pass by with a mariachi band or something."

"Angela, what is Eric was like, secretly a member of this... violent gang, and... your brother was in this other gang, and they wanted to kill each other and you couldn't tell anybody?" I ask her. My question just sits there as Angela looks at me.

"It's okay you don't have to talk about it." She says, smiling gently.

"There's nothing to... But there is" I say trailing off as I didn't know how to word it. I finally sit up and look at her. "Okay you remember Seth Clearwater right?" I ask her as her eyes light up in recognition.

"Aah. Emmett's jealous." She says as if it was obvious.

"You say it like it's obvious." I tell her in surprise.

"Oh, it's not?" She says apologetic.

"Emmett just thinks Seth's a bad influence. That he's... dangerous." I finish lamely. Angela smiles and shakes her head slowly. "What?" I ask her.

"I've seen the way Seth looks at you and I'm guessing Emmett has too. He's going to react like any other teenage boy, he's only human." That, I had no response for.

"It's more complicated than that" I tell her, finally glad that I have someone to talk to about what I'm feeling, even if I have to edit some things.

"Say the words Rose. Jell-Oh-See" She says to me.

"I've told Seth how I feel and he accepts it. He'd... rather be best friends than nothing."

"Okay so the words are: dee-nigh-ul" She says laughing softly.

"You're saying I'm an idiot." I tell her lying down again.

"Just stating the obvious" She says smiling. Then I suddenly turn serious.

"I don't want this. Every time I make a move it hurts someone." I tell her, pleading with her to understand my viewpoint of this mess.

"They're big boys, they make there own choices" She says and carries on writing. "It's not like it's a matter of life or death or anything." She says as I look out of my window at my reality.

Xx

Emmett's Volvo pulls over to the side of the road and Emmett opens my door to get out. We walk over to Seth who was sat on the hood of his car in only a pair of cut off jeans.

"Doesn't he own a shirt?" Emmett asks. I look up at him finally coming to a conclusion about all of this.

"Angela is a wise woman" I say. He looks at me in surprise.

"What does Angela have to do with all this?" He asks.

"You should go. I'm good here. No rush..." But I couldn't finish as he pulls me into a very passionate kiss. He breaks the kiss off and pulls away as I feel dizzy from the kiss. He chuckles and I walk to Jacob.

"Hey beautiful" He says getting off of his car and giving me a big hug. "So what do you want to do today? Bike, hike, hang? It's your choice but tonight we're going to a very _chill _party."

I laugh as the Volvo's engine restarts and drives away from us a Seth opens the passenger door for me to get in.

Xx

We walked through the sand of t he La Push beach to where a large fire was set up with several people surrounding it. Seth was holding my hand as we made our way to them. As I look closer I can see that the whole pack is there; Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry and Quil with other people with them.

"You sure this is okay? I don't want to be a party crasher" I ask Seth who laughs.

"Techinically you're a council meeting crasher. I thought – I mean _they _thought it will be a good idea for you to hear the histories." He says as I stop.

"Wait. The stories. They're your _histories?_" I ask in surprise. He nods and pulls me over to the rest of the people.

"Seth!" A young boy – who is clearly Jacob as he couldn't be older than 15 – walk up to us. "'Bout time you got here, Paul's been hoovering all the grub. But don't worry I saved you some burgers."

"Good looking Bro. Rose this is Jacob the newest to the pack." Seth tells me.

"Newest, bestest, brightest..." Jacob brags.

"Slowest" Seth finishes for him as he grabs Jacob in a headlock and they fall onto the sand play fighting. A whistle comes from the circle: Sam.

"Come one Seth your Dad's about to start" Sam shouts to Seth. He nods and pulls me to the circle where we sit down ready for Billy to begin the story.

[[Don't really wanna type all the story. If You wanna know read Eclipse! ;) ]]

Xx

After last night I was tired and went straight to bed. I didn't even notice Emmett sneak through my bedroom window as usual.

Right now we were walking into the living room in the Cullen house where Carlisle and Jasperwere watching the news. The dissaperances in Seattle were once again making the headlines. Edward was draped over the couch and grinned when we walked in.

"Look who survived the dog park! Need something for those flea bites?" He asks softly laughing.

"No thanks Edward" I tell him. Emmett looks at the television and then to Carlisle.

"Seattle?" He asks. Carlisle nods and looks at Emmett.

"It's getting worse. We're going to have to do something." He tells Emmett who nods.

"Alice still hasn't had any visions about who's doing this." He informs Carlisle.

"So we track him down and kick his bloodthirsty ass. Let's go now. I'm dead bored!" Edward shouts jumping up from the couch.

"EDWARD!" Bella shouts from upstairs causing Edward to sit down again and pout.

"She's such a pessimist." He mutters about his wife who was upstairs. The he looks at Jasper and nods.

"It makes sense." He says. I look between them.

"Guys" I tell them.

"Tell us Jasper." Carlisle says to his son who nods. I looked at him in surprise as he speaks beyond the one or two sentences he usually speaks, noticing he had a southern drawl in his words.

"It takes more than one of us to cause the damage being made in Seattle. Quite a few more. They're undisciplined, conspicuous..." Jasper says before being cut off by Emmett.

"Newborns"

"Like new vampires?" I asked not getting what they emant.

"Yes. In their first few months of this life." Emmett says looking at Jasper who carried on speaking.

"That's when we're at our most viscious, uncontrollable, insane with thirst..." He was cut off by a grinning Edward who was speaking to me.

"Something to look forward to" He says as I blanch and Jasper continues.

"No ones trained these newborns but this isn't random." He continues.

"Someone's creating an army" Carlisle says realising the situation. Jasper nods whilst Edward grins and stands up suddenly enthusiastic.

"Oh now we _definetly _gotta go" He says grinning like mad.

"Wait an army of vampires?" I asked in disbelief. Who would create such a thing?

"There haven't been any newborn armies that I know of in the last century." Carlisle mutters, mostly to himself.

"There is now. And they've been created to fight _someone." _Jasper emphasizes.

"We're the closest clan to Seattle." Emmett says. I look up at him and see his expression is guarded.

"Regardless, if we don't stop them the Volturi will definetly intefere. I'm surprise they let it go on for this long" Carlisle says, planning ahead.

"We can't go two weeks for graduation. You need to change me now." I say looking at Emmett for his reaction but it was Jasper who replied.

"You'd be a liability as a newborn. Unable to control your instincts. You'd be an easy target." Carlisle put a comforting hand on my shoulder as Emmett wraps an arm around my waist.

"There's also your Father to consider. And your mother. How terrible would it be for them if you dissaperared now?" Carlisle asks gently. I was unable to produce an argument against that but Edward was confused.

"But... we are going to kick someone's ass right?" He asks as a hiss echoes down the stairs from Bella.


	7. Chapter 7

Horizon

After sitting with Emmett as he discussed battle plans with Carlisle and his brothers I eventually remembered that I had to make dinner for Charlie. Emmett had just dropped me off and was returning to his family to make preparations to fight the army.

"Hey Dad. You already ate dinner?" I asked. I looked over his shoulder and found a flyer for a university student who disappeared in Seattle.

"Hmm. No... Not yet." He said not taking his eyes from the piles and piles of paperwork in front of him. He looks over his shoulder and finds me staring at the flyer. "Riley Biers. His parents are papering Seattle in these." He said pointing to the flyer in front of him. "Fifth time they've tried" He sighed.

"Do you think they should give up?" I asked him quietly. If he disappeared in Seattle he could be a newborn or a meal for one. He looks up at me then with his eyes full of emotion.

"I wouldn't if it was you. Not ever." He told her confidently. She swallowed her guilt as she was about to put him through that. Then he unexpectedly put an arm around my waist and held me for a moment before pulling away and trying to cover his emotionality.

"So one large cheese pizza?" He asks me after clearing his throat. I nod silently as he picks up the phone and I stand there just staring at the flyer on the table in front of me.

Xx

"I need to figure out what to tell people." I say drawing random patterns on Emmett's muscular chest as he holds me in my bed. Charlie was next door snoring whilst Emmett and I talk about my change. "How to explain I won't be home for Christmases. Why I won't visit. Why they won't ever see me again."

"After a few decades everyone you know will be dead. Problem solved." Emmett says to her. She flinches at his brutal honesty but she knows that it's the truth.

"Why are you so against me becoming like you?" I ask him, looking at his perfect face as he thinks about his reply.

"I've told you."

"There's more to it." I tell him stubbornly. "You can be honest."

"The choices you're making. I know the consequences. The isolation, The loss. I've lived through it. And to let you suffer through that just so that I'll never have to lose you." He takes a deep breath and speaks even quieter. "And I know _you _believe that I have a soul and I don't. And to risk yours just so I'll never have to lose you. It will be the most selfish thing I'll ever do."

"Then I'm just as selfish" I say and lay my head on his chest as he strokes my hair with his large hand.

"I thought... I thought maybe you were afraid I'll be too different. I won't be... you know, warm any more. I won't smell the same..." He lifts my head up to face his.

"You'll always be my Rose." He tells me honestly and kisses me passionately to show me his love. After a minute he pulls away, both of us breathing heavily and I lay my head on his chest as sleep overcomes me.

Xx

Emmett had dropped me off at the imaginary border line for Seth to pick me up. We were currently walking down La Push beach but he seems distracted. Like he wants to say something but he can't or won't.

"I want to say something." He suddenly says turning me around so we're both facing each other. I nod encouragingly at him as he takes a deep breath.

"I wanted to do this differently. Smoother. But I'm out of time and you need to her the truth, understand all of your options. You probably already what I'm going to say but..." I know exactly what he's going to say.

"Seth don't..." I tell him but he just squares his shoulders and tells me proudly.

"I'm in love with you Rose. And I want you to pick me instead of him." I stare at him momentarily speechless until I finally get my head around what he said.

"Seth I... thought you understood. I don't feel that way about you." I tell him honestly whilst he shakes his head.

"I don't buy it." He says to me convinced that I actually love him. But I don't. I love Emmett.

"What don't you buy, its how I feel." I tell him. He doesn't look bothered by my lack of interest in him.

"Do you want me to go away? Never see me again?" He asks. I shake my head. I might not love him in the way he wants but I don't want that either.

"Of course not Seth"

"See? You feel something for me but you just won't admit it." He pauses and looks like he is deciding something. "And I'm not giving up. I'm going to fight for you. Until your heart stops beating." He says taking my hand.

"Then you won't have to wait long – " " – You're rushing into it because you're afraid you'll change your mind." He says interrupting me. His voice was passionate as he spoke, thinking he knew what I was feeling but it was the opposite of what I was _actually _feeling.

"It's what I want." I say feeling angry. He just shakes his head and carries on talking.

"You wouldn't have to change for me. Or say goodbye to anyone. I can give you more than him. He probably can't even kiss you without hurting you." He says pulling me closer to his overheated body. "Feel that? Flesh and blood and warmth." He says.

"Seth – " I try to tell him but he spontaneously kisses me. I push against him angrily but he pulls me against him tighter. I go limp in his arms and drop mine knowing I was not doing any good. I open my eyes and wait for him to stop. When he does I turn away whilst he gauges my reaction. I spin back towards him and punch him in the face. But at the impact there was a horrible crunch. Whilst Seth didn't flinch I clutched my hand to my chest in pain.

"Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!" I say close to tears. I walk away but of course he follows. I don't love him, I love Emmett.

Xx

I was pissed. Seth kissed me against my will and now my hand is broken. Can life get any more unfair?

I got out of Seth's car and hold my broken hand in pain. Just then a flash of headlights appears and suddenly so does a silver Volvo. _Emmett's _silver Volvo. He jumps out and runs at vampire speed to Seth though it was only a blur to me. I get in his path so he won't him. I might be angry but I don't want Emmett to hurt Seth.

"Not here Emmett please" I try to beg him but he just glares at Seth and puts his hands on his shoulders and pushes him.

"If you _ever _kiss her against her will again, I'll-"

"She's not sure what her will is – "

"Oh she can speak for herself. I guarantee you."

"Fine someday she'll speak for herself and ask for me to."

"Stop it Seth just go!" I tell him whilst Emmett full on glares at the werewolf in front of him. Charlie decides that now is the time to come out and sees the hostility between both Emmett and Seth. He comes up to them not seeing the possible danger.

"Okay guys. Come on. Take it down a notch. Simmer it down." He says coming between the two who were still having a face off. "Now what the hell is going on?" He asks looking between the three of us.

"I kind of... kissed Rosalie." He says. You could see the pleased expression on Charlie's face. He didn't bother to hide his preference for Seth over my only love Emmett. However when Seth said the next bit his attitude changed.

"Against her will. She punched me and broke her hand. Accidently." Charlie's expression turns into a glare that even the cocky Seth shrinks under.

Xx

Emmett had taken me to Carlisle to make sure the damage wasn't permanent. As he finishes setting my hand in a splint Emmett looks on with concern and Bella was sat on the counter looking at several newspapers and looking for updates.

"It's just a small fracture. You're all set Rose." Carlisle tells me once he's finished with a reassuring smile. Edward and Jasper breeze in then and look at me and then to the splint on my hand.

"Trying to walk and chew gum at the same time Rose?" Edward asks me with a massive grin on his face.

"Punched a werewolf in the face." I tell him. He gets an impressed look and nods appreciatley at me.

"Bad ass. You're gonna be one tough little newborn."

"Tough enough to take you on – " I couldn't finish though because Bella slaps down the newspaper and abruptly walks out throwing me a glare on her way out whilst I look on confused. I hadn't actually done anything had I? I look at Edward who just shrugs.

"Don't worry about it."

"Did you find any leads?" Emmett asks his brothers.

"No sign of the intruder. But Victoria continues to make appearances." Jasper tells him.

"She's toying with us. Keeping us distracted." Carlisle says quietly.

"From Seattle?" Edward asks him.

Or the intruder. Or something else." Carlisle says.

"Alice can keep track on her decisions but we have to keep tracking her on the ground." Emmett says. No one was even paying me attention so I walk onto the deck Bella had gone.

"We already covered the entire Southern Peninsula down to Quinault." Jasper tells everyone.

"We'll search the north western trail..." That was all I heard before I was on the deck. Bella was leaning against the railing as she watches the sun set over the river in the forest behind the Cullen's house. She doesn't turn around but I'm guessing she doesn't need to know it was me.

"Go blather to someone else about the joys of being a newborn."She says to me. I sigh.

"I know how bad it will be." I tell her. She shakes her head.

"You don't have a clue." She tells me contemptuous. I suddenly get angry and I straighten and look at her feeling pissed.

"Bella I'm trying here. I've _been _trying with you But I can't figure out what I did to make you hate me -" She turns around then to face me with surprise on her perfect features.

"Hate you? I don't hate you. I don't particularly like you but... Rosalie, I envy you." She tells me. I look at her in shock. How can she envy me? She is absolutely perfect. She has a husband who loves her more than his life and a family as well as her perfect beauty that made _anyone _want to cry.

"That's... Ridiculous." I finally tell her.

"No it's not. You have a choice. I didn't. None of us did and you do and you're choosing wrong. I don't care how miserable your human life is -"

"My life isn't miserable. It's not perfect but no one's is – "

"Mine was." She tells me. I look at her in shock and disbelief.

"Maybe you forgot all the bad things –"

"No" She says shaking her head looking out at the river. "It was perfect. Until the end." I walk up and stand next to her but still at a careful distance.

"Did Emmett ever tell you what led to this?" She asked while gesturing to her flawless immortal vampire body.

I nodded slowly and responded with "He said it was close to what happened to me that time in Port Angeles, only no one was there to save _you._" She nodded and opened her mouth to speak before closing it again and shaking her head.

"I had... almost had... everything even though it was the Great Depression. I was seventeen, beautiful – everyone in Rochester envied me." Her tone turns sad now. "But there was one thing I didn't have. I wanted a child badly. A home of my own, a husband to kiss me when he comes home from work. And I thought I was going to have all of that..."

Her eyes turn far away as she remembers her human life that she lost years ago.

She sighed and spoke again. "In Rochester, there was one royal family-the King's ironically enough. Royce King owned the bank my father worked at, and nearly every other really profitable business in town. That's how is son, Royce King the Second"- She said the name through clenched teeth "-saw me for the first time. He was going to take over the bank, and so he began overseeing the different positions. Two days later, my mother conveniently forgot to send my father's lunch to work with him. I remember being confused when she insisted that I wear my white organza and roll my hair up just to run over to the bank." She laughed but left the humour out of it.

"I didn't notice Royce watching me particularly. Everyone watched me. But that night the first of the roses came. Every night of our courtship, he sent a bouquet of roses to me. My room was always overflowing with them. It got to the point that I would smell like roses when I left the house. After a week we were in courtship. I met Carlisle, Esme and Edward whilst walking to the market with my Mother. I remember feeling self conscious and that thought made me left. I, Isabella Hale, was feeling self conscious. Then I looked into Edward's eyes and I felt connected. I didn't know that it was because he found his mate in me.

"Even though we were engaged I barley knew Royce – we were never alone. But I was in love with the idea of love. I was young. On the last night of my life I was leaving my friend Vera's house late at night. I could remember being jealous that she had a child and I didn't but then feeling smug that my children would be even more beautiful than hers. Then I saw Edward and it hurt to think about a life without him. I wasn't far from home when I saw them. Five men stumbling and laughing. They were drunk. When I got closer I realised they were very well dressed and then they noticed me."

"Bells!" He shouted. I turned around and found Royce. I walked up to him not knowing that I should've run. He was drunk. He told me he didn't like alcohol. He turned to his friend John who was visiting for business. "Isn't she lovelier than all of your Georgia Peaches." The way he looked at me. It was unnerving. "Hard to tell. She's all covered up." He told Royce. They all started laughing and I cleared my throat ready to leave. Royce pulled of my jacket and popped all the brass buttons off. "Show them what you look like Bells" He told me pulling the hat out of my hair. The hair pulled my hair from my scalp and I screamed. They laughed. They were enjoying the sounds of my pain.

"I didn't see who he was until that night. Who they all were..."

I looked at her as she looked at the ground in sadness. I was filled with empathy for this girl who had no say in her future. Who had it ripped away from her.

"They left me in the streets thinking I was dead. Believe me, I wanted to be. Carlislie and Esme were the ones who found me. I had only met them once before but I was jealous. They were more beautiful than me. _Me. _I was vain enough at the time that I minded. Now I've come to see the flaws that my beauty has. It was the reason they did that. Carlisle took me to their home and bit me. The pain. It was excruiating. Edward heard my screams and came to me. He held my hand throughout the change and restrained me when the pain was to much. Royce had put out a search for his _beloved fiancee. _They thought I was dead. No one in Rochester thought the person who killed me would be my fiancee."

"I'm... so sorry Bella." I tell her.

"I did get my revenge though. " She smiled slightly at that. "I saved Royce for last so he knew I was coming. I was a little theatrical back then." She appears amused for a second before her face goes emotionless again. "Things got better after I realised I had Edward. We instantly clicked. Even when I was human. But we'll aways be... this. Frozen, never moving forward. That's what I miss most... the _possibilities. _Of sitting on a front porch somewhere, Edward gray-haired by my side, surrounded by our grandchildren, their laughter..."

"That's why I saved Emmett. With the dark curls and the innocence showing even when he was grimacing in pain." She sighs and shakes her head. "He reminded me of Vera's little Henry. And even though I hated this existence, I asked Carlisle to change him so I still had a link to my human life. Edward thought I was in love with him at first." She says laughing. "No, I'll _never _love anyone besides my Edward. Besides he's annoyed me from the first moment I heard him speak."

"Did you know I wasn't always like this? I was the adorable innocent little girl who would never get on trouble. Then my mother saw how the opposite sex noticed me. She molded me into this." She says gesturing to her perfect self. "The vain, shallow girl everyone else sees. I didn't want to be like that. I still don't..."

She was silent as I looked at her. She might be cold and vain but she was only that because of what they did to her. How they hurt her.

"Bella, I understand that's what you wanted but... I'll never want anything more than Emmett" I tell her.

"Wrong again. After you've been changed, there's one thing you'll want more, the one thing you'll kill for: Blood." She says. She looks at my face and then walks away, her heels clicking against the floor fills the empty silence. I'll want Emmett more than anything, right? As I turn I notice Emmett looking at me through a window sadly. I'll want Emmett more than anything, right?


	8. Chapter 8

Horizon

"There you go." Alice says adding a little more eye shadow to my face. I open my eyes and look in the mirror. Alice had placed me in a blue dress that came to my knees with blue matching ballet flats. My hair was straight as usual with a blue headband in. I had a little mascara, foundation and eye shadow on my face and I actually looked pretty.

Alice was wearing a green dress that came just above her knees with stiletto heels. Her hair was in the usual spikes and she had a cute little green bow to match her dress and shoes. She had on mascara and eyeliner but that was it. Stupid perfect vampires. She smiles and puts on her yellow graduation gown and hands me mine. I smile at her and put it over my arm and a knock sounds on the door and Bella pokes her head through before walking in fully.

She literally crushed what self esteem I had then. She was wearing a black strapless dress that had a pink belt in the middle. Her blond hair was in its usual curls [[Taylor Swifts Hair!]] and she was wearing pink pumps to match with the yellow mandatory graduation gown over her arm. She smiles at me softly and I smile back at her. Since she told me her past she had talked to me more often and I had come to think of her as a sister.

"Are you ready? The boys are getting restless that we 'take too long to get ready and we should just come down naked'. Edward's words not mine." She says shaking her head at her husband. I laugh at him. Alice takes both mine and Bella's hands and pulls us downstairs where the boys are waiting. They were all in black slacks with a white button down and the yellow graduation gown. I smile at Emmett who smiles back causing me to blush. I never did like the attention. Both Edward and Jasper were looking the wife's body up and down causing my blush to deepen. Have they always been this sexual?

"All right lets go!" Alice says and we all go to get in the cars for our graduation.

Xx

Charlie and me were walking to his Police cruiser after the tearful ceremony. The Cullen's have gone home to prepare for the party that Alice insisted on having. I was awkwardly getting out of the hideous graduation gown whilst many people shout to her "See you at the party!" and other things. Charlie wraps an arm around my shoulders his face full of emotion.

"I'm so proud of you Rose. I can't wait to see what you do next. You're my biggest accomplishment."

Dad, that's not true." I tell him feeling a blush rise to my cheeks at his adoration of me.

"Yeah it is... and you'll see when you have kids." He tells me confidently. I realise now why Bella wants children. To be able to watch them grow and feel proud that your child has done you proud. But I still want Emmett more than anything. Even children.

Xx

Charlie waves goodbye as he drives down the Cullen driveway. I walk up the porch and knock on the door to find Emmett there waiting for me.

"Rose." He says and picks me up in a hug. I laugh and kiss him as he kisses me back. I pull away to breathe and blush when I find Edward stood behind us.

"Didn't know you had it in ya bro!" He says slapping Emmett on the back. Emmett glares at his brother who just grins waiting for him to hit him back, Hoping for another fight.

"Bells, get your husband under control." He shouts upstairs. A door slams shut and Bella appears at the top of the stairs with Alice who runs down and makes sure everyone is okay. The two had changed into different clothes. Alice was wearing a black dress that had a square neckline and short sleeves with black 2 inch heels and her hair in usual spikes. Bella was wearing a purple dress that came a little higher than mid thigh with a low neckline. She had on silver stilettos and her blond hair was pulled back into a messy side bun that was puffed up.

She walks over to Edward and slaps him on the back of his head. "Oww" He whines pouting at Bella. She shakes her head at him. He shrugs and pulls her into him wrapping his arms around her body and kissing her hair. Just then a knock comes on the door and everyone immediately gets ready to party and act normal around the clueless teenagers. Many people rush in and congratulate us before starting to dance. Eventually the room was filled and Emmett had left me to dance with Angela as he planned with Carlisle, Edward and Jasper.

"So we've finally graduated" Angela says giving me a hug. I nod and look around the room hoping to find Emmett in the crowd. Instead I find a tall frame looking over everyone. Seth.

Quil and Embry were behind him looking around wildly. They were tense. I walked over to him and stood in front of him as he grins at me forgetting why I was mad at him in the first place.

"What are you doing here?" I ask them in disbelief. Why would he come to a vampire's – his natural enemy – home?

"Rose, you invited me remember?" He asked grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Yeah I remember and if my right hook was to subtle that was me _uninviting _you" He looked down at me with genuine remorse on his features.

"Rose, I'm sorry about, you know, the kiss and your hand... I'd blame it on the whole inner animal thing but ... it was just me. Being an ass. I'm sorry." I only hear the sincerity in his words and soften as I nod to him. He grins and speaks again. "I brought you a graduation present. I made it myself." He says proudly. He grabs my hand and fastens a charm bracelet around my wrist that held a miniature wolf.

"Wow. You made this?" He nods. "Wow I... Thank you." He was obviously pleased that I had accepted his gift. I look behind him and see Alice holding onto the banister of the stairs for support. Vision. I look up at Seth in alarm whilst he just stares at me in confusion.

"I'll be right back."

"Why? What's going on?" He asks, desperation seeping into his tone.

"Nothing. Just wait here a sec." I tell him and try to move to Alice who was still frozen. I feel Seth, Quil and Embry's suspicious looks on my back as I walk up to a still frozen Alice. As I reach her she comes out of her trance and her blank expression is replaced with one of alarm.

"Alice, what is it? What did you see?" I ask panicked as Seth suddenly appears.

"Okay something is going on. Tell me." He says in a cocky attitude crossing his arms over his chest. Alice looks up at him before looking around the room.

"I... need to talk to Jasper" She says and tries to walk around the 7 foot werewolf. Seth puts an arm on the wall blocking her exit.

"Why don't you talk to me?" He asks just as Jasper suddenly appears on the otherside of Seth's arm with an absolute lethal expression on his handsome face.

"I suggest you remove your arm. Before I do." He threatens as Seth slowly pulls his arm back not wanting to anger the vampire.

"Just looking for info" Seth says folding his arms across his chest and looking at Jasper as if to challenge him.

"The decisions been made." Alice says in a vonfident voice.

"You're not going to Seattle are you?" I ask in a panicked voice. What if someone got hurt? Because of me?

"No... _They're _coming _here." _Alice tells us.

Xx

Me, Carlisle, Edward, Emmett and Jasper were outside debating whilst Seth, Quil and Embry were trying to follow.

"How long?" Emmett asks putting an arm around me and looking out into the dark forest.

"They'll be here in four days." Alice replies.

Carlisle is obviously sickened at this. It was clear on his face. "This could easily turn into a bloodbath." He says upset. No one hated violence and death more than Carlisle. He was the one who offered an alternative to human blood and saved Edward, Esme, Bella and Emmett from death.

"There aren't enough of us to protect town." Jasper says sadly looking at the ground.

"Someone's going to attack Forks?" Seth asks but no one acknowledges him and pretend they didn't hear him.

"Who's behind it?" Emmett asked Alice whose eyes glazed over and she had a vacant expression on her beautiful face.

"I don't know. They're being extremely guarded in their decisions. It's like they know how my visions work" Alice says obviously distressed that she can't see who created this army to kill her family.

"Only the Volturi could know how Alice's gift works. When he read her mind he would know her better than she knows herself." Carlisle says.

"Either way, the army is coming and our odds aren't good either." Jasper says looking out into the forest near the Cullen home.

"Alright" Hold up, what damn army?" Seth explodes. Emmett and Carlisle share a look deciding whether to tell him. Emmett shakes his head no. But the wolve's should know. Vampires are the enemies and an army full of them are coming to Forks, the land they swore to protect. Carlisle decides differently to his son.

"Our kind. Newborns." He says looking at the three lanky teenagers.

"How many?" Quil asks looking excited about a fight.

"What are they after?" Embry asks.

"They're passing Rose's scent around. They had a red blouse..." "That's why they were in my room" I interrupt her. I realise that they weren't looking for me but gathering my scent to help others find me.

"Okay what the hell does this mean?" Seth asks looking throughout the motionless vampires.

"It means an ugly fight. With lives lost." Carlisle says anguished. Seth, Quil and Embry look at each other and Seth nods before looking at Carlisle, the only vampire who wasn't glaring at them.

"We're in. If we can't kill you they'll have to do" Seth says smirking when he gets 4 hisses from Emmett, Edward, Jasper and Alice.

"What? No! You'll get yourselves killed!" I shout at him feeling panicked. The newborn vampires were strong and fast and the wolves' wouldn't stand a chance against them.

"Please it's what we made for" Seth says rolling his eyes. Emmett growls at him and backs me up.

"Forget it"

"Wasn't asking permission" He says smiling smugly.

"Alright" Everyone turns to look at Carlisle in disbelief. He looks at his children daring them to challenge him with his decision. They sigh and nod whilst the wolves' grin. "We'll have to co ordinate. Will Sam agree with this... understanding?" He asks the 3 La Push kids.

"If that's a fancy word for fighting, they yeah. We live here too." Seth shrugs whilst Quil and Embry nod behind him, showing their agreement. Carlisle nods and turns to Jasper.

"Jasper?"

"They'll give us the numbers. And the newborns won't know werewolves even exist. That'll give us an edge." Jasper says to Carlisle, taking control of the situation.

"Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. We were already planning a strategic meeting. Your welcome to join us." Carlisle says to the wolves in a friendly and reassuring tone. They nod.

"Name the time and the place" Seth says.

Xx

"Seth Wait! You don't know what you're getting into" I tell him hoping to dissuade him from fighting against the newborns.

"It's what we _do. _You should be happy. Look at us, working together. _You're _the one who wanted us to get along" He says and walks away leaving me standing there, looking into the dark, cold forest.

Xx


	9. Chapter 9

Horizon

Emmett had to carry me home and lay me on my bed as I was so tired. However, I wasn't going to let sleep overcome as I wanted to watch the Cullen's training session. Also, they might not be at the wolves throats if a breakable human is there.

My head was on Emmett's chest as he hummed a song to me. It was so calm and soothing that any normal night I would have fallen asleep right then. But I couldn't. How could you sleep knowing an army of newborn vampires – the strongest of their kind – searching for me and my love and his family, as well as my friends, fighting for my life?

Eventually Emmett sat up and put me on his back. I wrapped my arms and legs around him as he runs through the dark forest with a massive grin on his perfect face. It felt like when we ran for the fun of it to the meadow or just for some alone time. But this time we were going to meet his family to practice fighting newborns. Can my life get any more difficult?

When we walked onto the massive field Edward and Jasper were already fighting. Alice, Bella, Carlisle and Esme were sat a little away watching them with amused expressions. Suddenly, Edward was being thrown across the field and landed on his back. Immediately he sprang back up and bared his teeth at a crouched Jasper.

"Again." He said before turning his head towards the forest. "Aww man. Never mind they're here." He says running over to us. Everyone was already around us and we were in a welcoming line, trying to not be too intimidating. Me and Emmett were at the end with me slightly behind him. Alice and Jasper were next us with Carlisle and Esme beside them. Bella and Edward were at the other end there eyes locked on something I couldn't see.

Suddenly a twig snaps, reverting my attention to the dense forest in front of us. Out steps a horse sized wolf, his fur as black as the dark the night brought. Two slightly smaller one follow with the rest behind them. I notice a reddish brown wolf and immediately recognised it as Seth. It was so different seeing my best friend this way, an equivalent to an animal. The grey one locks eyes with Edward and growls and prepares to lunge. Edward smirks and pulls Bella behind him and crouches. Paul and Edward. Rematch. Carlisle shakes his head at Edward who stands up and sulks pulling an amused Bella into his side and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Carlisle clears his throat and steps forward to greet the wolves.

"They don't trust us enough to come in human form. I'm going to have to translate." Edward says stepping next to Carlisle and keeping his eyes on Paul. Carlisle nods.

"They're here that's all that matters." He takes another step forward and Edward and Jasper flank him. "Welcome." He says.

"He says they'll watch and listen but that is all they can ask of their self control." Edward translates from – I'm guessing – Sam's mind.

"That will be fine. My son, Jasper," He gestures to a glaring Jasper behind him. "has experience with newborns and will teach us how to defeat them" A rumble erupts through the whole pack at having to follow orders from a vampire, until Sam growls and they all immediately stop.

"He wants to know how they differ from us" Edward says still looking at Paul.

"They're a great deal stronger than us, because their own human blood lingers in their tissues from the transformation. Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months of this life." Carlisle explains. He turns to Jasper and nods taking a step back with Edward and standing next to their mates.

"One of them – Quil – wants to know how many vampires constitute an army. He seems to be made... nervous by the terms." Edward says to Jasper as we all move to stand at the edge of the clearing. If it could be possible, Quil would look embarrassed whilst Jasper laughs.

"Army is an expression for a large number of newborns. The good news is, they are not in the thousands like a human army. The bad news is that no human army could stand against them. But they're untrained, and their thirst will make them wild. Volatile. That can work in our favour." Jasper moves to the centre of the field so he can address the wolves' and his family as I watch in surprise as this new side of Jasper. "The two most important things to remember are first _never _let them get their arms around you. Second, never go for the obvious kill. Edward?" He gestures for him to attack as he steps forward grinning like mad. "Don't hold back." He says.

"Not in my nature" Then they were gone. They were moving so fast that my weak human eyes couldn't cope with the speed they were moving at, whilst all the vampires and werewolves' watch eagerly. Edward lunges at him several times before he freezes and Jasper was on his back, his teeth close to his neck. So close to biting and beheading.

"You have to come at them from the side and keep moving. Always moving." Jasper instructs and jumps off his back as Edward sulks and walks over to an amused Bella. Everyone fights whilst I sit on the floor watching them, my eyelids feeling heavy against my eyes. I was losing my battle against sleep. Suddenly a furry muzzle nuzzles me and I look up to find a grinning wolf. Seth. He lays down next to me as I run my hands through his thick yet soft fur.

"It will be a hundred times worse than this wont it?" I ask him even though he can't talk back to me. I look over all of the vampires and wolves feeling guilty that my bad luck targeted those around me rather than me head on. "Some of you might not be here afterwards. Because of me." Suddenly Emmett was stood over her with a calm expression on his glorious face.

"We're done for the day." He explains. I nod and he pulls me up as Seth stands up as well. Emmett puts me on his back as Jacob walks to the forest where the rest of his pack was waiting expectantly. His eyes never left us as he retreated and my eyes were shut before I even hit my pillow.

Xx

The next day Emmett had picked me up and took me to the Cullen house. Everyone was sat around watching TV or doing an activity. Alice was reading a magazine with Jasper next to her watching television with Carlisle and Esme. Bella was on her laptop doing something whilst Edward watched her ridiculously perfect face with love in his eyes. I look at Jasper again and start to feel confused as I remembered how he knew everything about newborn vampires. And Carlisle telling the wolves how he was experienced in this field. He looks up at me suddenly and I blush as he realises I was staring. He smiles and speak directly to me.

"You're confused." He states. His power of empathy was useful sometimes. "You want to know how I know so much. Newborns?" He asks and I nod. He sighs and stands up. He walks over to a nearby lamp and Emmett pulls me over to him. Everyone was now watching Jasper. Carlisle and Esme had reassuring expressions. Alice was smiling. Edward was bored and Bella was actually waiting patiently for Jasper to start. Wow. I thought she had a permanent temper when it came to things like this. I thought it was a blond thing. [[No disrespect to you sexy blonds out there!]]

"I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now." Emmett said to a thoughtful Jasper.

Jasper nodded thoughtfully, and then started to roll up the arm of his ivory sweater. I watched, curious and confused, trying to figure out what he was doing. He held his wrist under the edge of the lampshade beside him, close to the light of the naked bulb, and traced his finger across a

raised crescent mark on the pale skin. It took me a minute to understand why the shape looked strangely familiar.

"Oh," I breathed as realization hit. "Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine."

I held out my hand, the silvery crescent more prominent against my cream skin than against his alabaster.

Jasper smiled faintly. "I have a lot of scars like yours, Rose."

Jasper's face was unreadable as he pushed the sleeve of his thin sweater higher up his arm. At first my eyes could not make sense of the texture that was layered thickly across the skin. Curved half-moons crisscrossed in a feathery pattern that was only visible, white on white as it was, because the bright glow of the lamp beside him threw the slightly raised design into relief, with shallow shadows outlining the shapes. And then I grasped that the pattern was made of individual crescents like the one on his wrist . . . the one on my hand.

I looked back at my own small, solitary scar — and remembered how I'd received it. I stared at the

shape of James's teeth, embossed forever on my skin.

And then I gasped, staring up at him. "Jasper, what _happened _to you?"

"The same thing that happened to your hand," Jasper answered in a quiet voice. "Repeated a thousand times." He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. "Our venom is the only

thing that leaves a scar."

"_Why?"_I breathed in horror, feeling rude but unable to stop staring at his subtly ravaged skin.

"I didn't have quite the same . . . upbringing as my adopted siblings here. My beginning was something else entirely." His voice turned hard as he finished. I gaped at him, appalled.

"Before I tell you my story," Jasper said, "you must understand that there are places in _our _world, Rose, where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries."

The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Edward turned their attention to the TV again. Alice

moved silently to sit at Esme's feet. But Emmett was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face, reading every flicker of emotion.

"To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to

imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy . . . the perpetually thirsty. You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection. Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we — well, those who exist this way — can feed without attracting notice."

I shuddered at the image in my head, at the word _feed. _But Jasper wasn't worried about frightening me, not overprotective like Emmett always was. He went on without a pause.

"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed."

I frowned at the way he pronounced the name — with respect, almost gratitude. The idea of the Volturi as the good guys in any sense was hard to accept.

"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly — anonymity is important to us all. "It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside — food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi."

"But what are they fighting for?" I asked.

Jasper smiled. "Remember the map with the red dots?"

He waited, so I nodded.

"They fight for control of the thickest red. You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get rid of the competition. Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others. But the _most _effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone ever heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, he won."

"How did he win?" I asked with wary curiosity.

"Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first one to think of it, and, in the

beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost. You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers."

"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of to counteract Benito. They made armies of their own. . . .

"All hell broke loose — and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either."

I shuddered.

"When the body count reached epidemic proportions — in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump — the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America. Benito was entrenched in Puebla, building his army as quickly as he could in order to take on the prize — Mexico City. The Volturi started with him, and then moved on to the rest.

"Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time. The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that will always be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke to someone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacán."

Jasper shuddered. I realized that I had never before seen him either afraid or horrified. This was a first.

"It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayed sane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life. But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors were quick to stake their claims in the South. It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the

Volturi no reason to return.

"The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue. . . ."

Jasper was staring off into space.

"That's how you were changed." My realization was a whisper.

"Yes," he agreed. "When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old

when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enough to get away with it.

"My military career was short-lived, but very promising. People always . . . liked me, listened to what I had to say. My father said it was charisma. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But, whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. The Confederate Army was new and scrambling to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By the first battle of Galveston — well, it was more of a skirmish, really — I was the youngest major in Texas, not even acknowledging my real age.

"I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union's mortar boats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians to convey them to Houston.

"I remember that one night very clearly."

"We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely

situated. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There

wasn't time to rest. Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismounted at once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen. They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features were clearly Mexican, was porcelain in the moonlight. They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to be called girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three.

"'He's speechless,' the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice — it was like wind chimes. She had fair hair, and her skin was snow white.

"The other was blonder still, her skin just as chalky. Her face was like an angel's. She leaned toward me with half-closed eyes and inhaled deeply.

"'Mmm,' she sighed. 'Lovely.'

"The small one, the tiny brunette, put her hand on the girl's arm and spoke quickly. Her voice was too soft and musical to be sharp, but that seemed to be the way she intended it.

"'Concentrate, Nettie,' she said. "I'd always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they'd been military, I would have said that she outranked them.

"'He looks right — young, strong, an officer. . . . ' The brunette paused, and I tried unsuccessfully to

speak. 'And there's something more . . . do you sense it?' she asked the other two. 'He's . . .

compelling.'

"'Oh, yes,' Nettie quickly agreed, leaning toward me again.

"'Patience,' the brunette cautioned her. 'I want to keep this one.'

"Nettie frowned; she seemed annoyed.

"'You'd better do it, Maria,' the taller blonde spoke again. 'If he's important to you. I kill them twice as often as I keep them.'

"'Yes, I'll do it,' Maria agreed. 'I really do like this one. Take Nettie away, will you? I don't want to

have to protect my back while I'm trying to focus.' My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, though I didn't understand the meaning of anything the beautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them.

"'Let's hunt,' Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl's hand. They wheeled — they were so graceful! — and sprinted toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast — their white dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement, and they were gone.

"I turned to stare at Maria, who was watching me curiously.

"I'd never been superstitious in my life. Until that second, I'd never believed in ghosts or any other such nonsense. Suddenly, I was unsure.

"'What is your name, soldier?' Maria asked me.

"'Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am,' I stammered, unable to be impolite to a female, even if she was a

ghost. "'I truly hope you survive, Jasper,' she said in her gentle voice. 'I have a good feeling about you.' She took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place, though my instincts were screaming at me to run."

Jasper paused, his face thoughtful. "A few days later," he finally said, and I wasn't sure if he had edited his story for my sake or because he was responding to the tension that even I could feel exuding from Emmett, "I was introduced to my new life. Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn't been together long — Maria had rounded up the other two — all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their . . . herd lands, I suppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria's idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well,

we were rewarded. . . ."

He paused, editing again.

"She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane

around the year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong.

"There were six of us when I joined Maria's band. She added four more within a fortnight. We were all male — Maria wanted soldiers — and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongst ourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. I was rewarded often, and that made me stronger.

"Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others — as if I were

being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty. This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, as yet undefined, to control the emotional atmosphere around me was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way that newborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were able to work together more easily.

"Maria grew quite fond of me — she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshipped the ground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way things were, and we believed.

"She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. I pulled together an army of twenty-three in the end — twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires, organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic.

"We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed us on her enemies. They had only nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down more easily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin of victory. And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any human being aware.

"Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, she

extended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South to dislodge her."

He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm.

"The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three, I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Nettie and Lucy turned on Maria eventually — but that one we won. Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea of conquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance and feuding now. So many had lost their partners, and that is something our kind does not forgive. . . .

"Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us — they were pawns,

they were disposable. When they outgrew their usefulness, we_did _dispose of them. My life continued in the same violent pattern and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed . . .

"Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was . . . civilized — I suppose that's the right word. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it.

"He was assigned to deal with the newborns — babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time job.

"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one by one . . . It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Maria had instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no.

"We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow — he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me.

"The newborn I'd summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His

feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt . . . averse to destroying him.

"Maria was irritated with me for that . . .

"Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive.

"Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She'd never felt a moment's depression, and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me — sometimes there was fear . . . and malice — the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Nettie and Lucy struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peter returned.

"Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem.

"In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria. I'd been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet the bond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance. I travelled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn't fade. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I'd hunted.

"I contemplated that. In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock. It was stronger for me — this borrowed memory — than it was for anyone else, because I could _feel _everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them.

"You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Rose, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect _me _. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of my life, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I left Maria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey.

"It began to be too much."

"The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, they didn't feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so wearied by killing — killing anyone, even mere humans.

"Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty

and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline . . . challenging. I still haven't perfected that."

Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate expression smoothed into a

peaceful smile.

"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day — something I was not

completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little.

"She was there — expecting me, naturally." He chuckled once. "She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before.

"'You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said."

I didn't realize Alice had come to stand behind me again.

"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am.'" Alice

laughed at the memory.

Jasper smiled down at her. "You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of

what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope."

Jasper took Alice's hand as he spoke.

Alice grinned. "I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up."

They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to me, the soft expression lingering.

"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them."

"Scared the hell out of them, too," Emmett said, rolling his eyes at Jasper before turning to me to

explain. "Edward and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little

freak" — he nudged Alice playfully — "who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into."

Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass.

"When I got home, all my things were in the garage," Emmett continued.

Alice shrugged. "Your room had the best view."

They all laughed together now.

"That's a nice story," I said.

Three pairs of eyes questioned my sanity.

"I mean the last part," I defended myself. "The happy ending with Alice."

"Alice has made all the difference," Jasper agreed. "This is a climate I enjoy." He says smiling at everyone in the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Horizon

I followed Emmett out of the house, hot on his heels. He carries on walking until I decide what I want to do.

"Emmett. Wait!" I shout to him. He stops and turns around to me with soft eyes.

"They'll be here soon Rose." He says, grimacing at the wolves'. I nod.

"I know. That's why I... I wanted to ask you something." I wait for his reaction but his perfect face was emotionless. "You'd give your life for me, wouldn't you?" I ask him, feeling the tears in my eyes threatening to spill.

"Of course." He says in a tense voice, waiting to see where this conversation was going.

"What else would you give?"

"Anything" He breathes looking at me adoringly. I nod at him and stare into his eyes as I think about how to word my request.

"Good. Then I feel better asking this then. I want you to stay out of the fight." I say looking at him whilst he stays still, not moving or breathing.

"I can't Rose" He says.

"I can't lose you." I say, a traitor tear falling as I think about when Emmett left me and the dark times they brung to me. He looks at me sadly before responding.

"I won't be far away and it will be over quickly. With the wolves in it there won't be enough for the rest of us to do." He tells me.

"If there won't be enough to do then you're not needed are you?" I ask him. He freezes and stares at me as he catches his own logic of the situation.

"And it's just pride that's making you go. Well I'm asking you to put that aside. I know that would take a lot of courage." He just stares at me. He looks resistant to my request. "No more tracks. Nno more half-truths. We'll be together one way or another. Either way you'll come with me or I'll be at the battle with you." I tell him. He was struggling, it was on his face and he was reluctant to give in. I take advantage of this and press further, reluctantly saying the words that will hit him the hardest. "I've already gone crazy once. If you leave me again-" I trail off as he looks down at the floor obviously feeling guilty. But I didn't take it back. "There are only two alternatives. Both of us in or both of us out." I look down at the floor as I wait for his decision.

"Then I choose the alternative _I _can live with" I look up at him feeling guilty and relieved. But at least I know he'll be safe and with me. I can live with that.

Xx

"You're not fighting?" Seth asks Emmett in shock. We were stood in the middle of a field with Jasper beside us and Seth opposite us. "What you pull a muscle or something?" He mocks Emmett.

"He's doing it for me. Okay?" I say to Seth defending Emmett. Seth looks at me whilst I see Emmett shakes his head something from the corner of my eye.

"Whatever just tell me the plan" He says crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. At that Jasper slips back into his military role and slightly steps forward to address Seth.

"This field will give us an advantage in battle. We can lure the newborns with Rosalie's scent, but it needs to end here."

"Emmett and I are going to a campsite. But even if he carries me, they'll pick up our scents." I tell him.

"Your smell, however, is revolting." Emmett says as both Jasper and Emmett wrinkle their noses in disgust.

"Dude, you rally don't want to start comparing stinks – " Seth says glaring at both of the vampires.

"He _means, _your scent will mask mine if you carry –" "Done" Seth says without hesitation.

"This is a bad idea." Emmett says to Jasper who shakes his head.

"Emmett, they won't want to get anywhere near his... odour." He says comfortingly to Emmett.

"Lets just test it" I say to them and look up to a grinning Seth. Emmett finally nods and I extend my arms to Seth who eagerly picks me up and looks at Emmett for confirmation.

"Run."

Seth didn't need any more confirmation and ran with me through the dark forest, expertly dodging the trees within centimetres with me still in his arms, not once losing breath. Eventually he puts me down and grins at me.

"We'll see if that works. Personally I think I smell great. You ever notice anything?" He asks me.

"Nothing except the usual boy smell." I reply looking for any sign of Emmett or Jasper.

"You gonna ask me to sit out if the fight too? Or don't you care about my safety?" Seth asks not meeting my eyes.

"Of course I care but you'd say no." I started to feel hopeful. Could I have both Emmett – my true love – and Seth – my best friend – safe? "Unless maybe you'd consider..." I said trailing off suggestively and staring up at his face.

"Yeah right" Then he started to backpedal. "But that doesn't mean he loves you more. And I don't have a choice anyway. Since I let Sam be alpha, I have to live with the shots he calls."

"Wait – you _let _him be alpha? What does that mean?" I ask him confused.

"Technically I was supposed to be Alpha. It's a lineage thing. It also woulda meant being chief of the whole tribe. But I turned it down when Sam offered."

"You're kidding." I said looking at him.

"I didn't want to be _in _a pack, let alone be their leader" I look at him, seeing him with new and different eyes.

"Wow. Chief Seth." I say smiling at the way it sounded.

"Opted out – but every choice has consequences... some more than others" He says looking at me pointedly, referring to my choice of joining the Cullen family and becoming a vampire to live with Emmett for eternity.

"Don't start- you're gonna have to accept _my _choice" I tell him. Jacob looks between us and I notice the closeness between us. I step backwards as he begins to speak again.

"You can love more than one person at a time. I've seen it, with Sam, Emily and Leah..."

"I'm not a wolf, I can't imprint" I interrupt him.

"It's not about imprinting. It's about _feeling _something for someone. And I know you feel something for me. I can sense how I make you feel. Physically. I make you nervous." He says pulling me closer to him.

"Seth come on"

"Don't worry, I promised I wouldn't kiss you again till you asked."

"You'll be keeping that promise for a long time Chief Seth" He grins at me and I grin back as we walk to where Jasper and Edward were stood.

Xx

I climb out of my truck as cut the engine and Alice and Charlie walk out laughing, enjoying each others company. As Alice heads down the stairs Charlie shouts to her.

"Don't be a stranger Alice. Hi ya Rose" He says noticing me before walking inside as Alice walks over to me.

"Your alibi for the battle is all arranged" Alice says self pleased.

"Really?" I ask shocked. She nods and carries on talking, elaborating her answer.

"I told your father that my whole family's going camping this weekend. So you and I are having a sleep-over at my house. _Me, _he likes. Actually you and Emmett will have the house to yourselves tonight."

"Alone?" I ask nervously. She nods.

"We're all going hunting, powering up for the fight. You're welcome." She says as she dances to her car. I walk into the house and found my Dad sat at the kitchen table.

"The _sister, _I like." He tells me.

"Yeah, Alice is great." I agree smiling at my quirky friend. I move over to the sink and start casually washing the dishes as he watches me suspiciously. "So Dad, I was wondering... why you never got remarried after Mom"

"I don't know. Guess I never met the right person. Why?"

"I thought maybe it was 'cause you, I don't know – gave up on the whole institution. Of marriage. But... you still think it has value?"

"Sure, marriage has value. When you're older. Like your Mom – it worked out great for her the second time. _Later _in life." He says.

"I guess..."

"You definitely don't want to _have _to get married because you weren't... careful –"

"What..."

"There's things you need to know when you're – physically intimate" He says awkwardly.

"Oh no. Please tell me this isn't the talk..." I say feeling the blush mark my cheeks already.

"Remember I'm just as embarrassed as you are." He says.

"I seriously doubt that. And anyway Mom beat you to the punch ten years ago. You're off the hook." I say hoping that was the end of the conversation.

"You didn't have a boyfriend ten years ago"

"I think things still work the same way" I say looking anywhere except him.

"So you two are taking precautions?"

"Please – I mean , really _please _don't worry about it. Emmett is... old school."

"I don't – know what that – is that like a technique or...?"

"OH MY GOD! I'm still a virgin! Okay? And I cannot believe I just had to say that out loud!"

"Really? Huh. Liking Emmett a bit more now." He mutters as I run past him and bolt out of the door feeling mortified.


	11. Chapter 11

**READ MY PROFILE!**


	12. Chapter 12

Hey (:

I'm thinking of doing a Glee fanfic. I have a couple of ideas and I just wanted to ask what you all think.

1 – Kurt's little sister, Elena, has moved back to Lima after attending a Private School in New York. She meets her brother's new friend Blaine Anderson and is instantly smitten with him however so is Kurt – who will Blaine choose?

2 – When Lily Moore moves to Lima she didn't expect to be dragged into the Glee Club, never mind being their new lead singer. With the hate of one Rachel Berry and a forbidden romance with someone from a rival school Lily's year is going to be full of unexpected surprises.

3 – Kurt loves Blaine. Blaine loves Kurt. But when Quinn's cousin Heidi moves to Lima Blaine starts questioning whether or not he's actually gay. Meanwhile, Kurt has started noticing a particular Warbler who isn't Blaine.

I honestly love Kurt and Blaine – they're the best couple in Glee – but I want to change the cliché and make him straight – or at least question his sexuality. PM me or leave a review and tell me what you want me to write – I've got tonnes of ideas but whenever I start writing one I want to write another and it's getting annoying so I decided to just ask you guys. If anyone's interested my cousin has wrote a Glee and Twilight crossover but hasn't got an account so she wants to post it on mine, any thoughts? I'm leaning towards number 2 and I've already gotten a couple of chapters written for that so if that is the most popular choice then I'm sorted for the start. I'll write all of them if you like just tell me which you'd like to read first or if you want me to write them all at the same time but that would take a lot longer as I have my GCSE's start next week and I have a lot of revising to do, never mind finishing my Art coursework! If anyone is interested in using these ideas please message me because it will honestly make my life so much easier! If you do though I hope that you stick with the idea and update regularly because I really hate when people don't do that... Or just make super long chapters. If anyone does use any of my ideas then please message me so I can read it!

And I was wondering if anyone would actually like to help me. Like I write one chapter and then they write the next and we could email them to each other to read so we get an idea of what to write for the next chapter. That would REALLY be awesome so if anyone is interested... message me!

Anyway, I've gone on for long enough... PEACE! (:


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